Katawa Royale
by Ridler
Summary: When Hisao and 14 of his friends and classmates are abducted by a terrorist, placed on an island, given a weapon each and forced to fight until only one remains, it quickly becomes obvious that nothing will ever be the same after this. Will they be able to kill their friends to save themselves?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: No, this is not my return to the world of fanfiction. This is simply a favor I'm doing for a friend. She hosts a FanFicFriday on her Katawa Shoujo-themed page and I offered my help, that's it. I just decided to post this here as well for you guys to enjoy, and to have them neatly organized for anyone who'd want to go through the whole thing after it's completed without bothering with looking up posts and pages. New chapters will be updated every Friday. Enjoy!**

When I was diagnosed with arrhythmia a few months ago, I thought my life was over. That first nearly fatal heart attack put an end to what I had thus far considered to be a perfect existence. I was popular, I had good grades and I was physically active. Life couldn't possibly get any better for a teenager like me. I had it so good, I always considered my life to be a bit boring. I never even realized that the only thing I could possibly do was fall from my throne. And fell, I did. The numerous surgeries following my heart attack left my body scarred and weak. My prolonged hospitalization cost me all of my friends. And finally, I had to give up the education I wanted and start studying at a school for disabled kids, Yamaku Academy, as the arrhythmia had made my heart fragile. For me, life was over. I tried to see this as a new beginning, but the more I thought about it, the more it depressed me. The king was now reduced to a lonely invalid in a school for cripples. I thought it couldn't possibly get any worse. What I didn't realize was that the only thing I could do was rise again. And rise, I did.

For the most part, Yamaku was no different than any other school. It looked and felt practically the same. It had its popular girls, jocks and nerds. It had a student council, various festivals, it organized field trips for the students... At first, the disabilities of the other students really bothered me. I mean, you can't just see an armless person for the first time and lead a normal conversation with them, at least not without feeling awkward and uncomfortable! However, in time, I did manage to get used to it. And once you look past their disabilities, the kids from Yamaku were just that – kids, with hopes, dreams and aspirations. Once my initial shock was over, it wasn't hard to find many good friends. And who knows, maybe soon I'll even find someone I can call more than a friend.

It's been eight months since that first, faithful heart attack. Every day brings me even closer to graduation, or the moment when I'll be forced to leave my entire life behind once more. To be honest, I don't quite know how I feel about that. On one hand, I guess I'll finally become a productive member of society. I'll go to a normal university, or get a normal job, and, as long as I take my medication and don't overexert myself, I won't even have to think about my disability again. But on the other, I have found a lot of good friends here. They're all people that I would love to have around me for the rest of my life, but I know that this isn't a realistic possibility no matter how I look at it, which is why I appreciate this field trip even more.

Honestly, none of us are really excited about the trip itself. We're just going to some small village on an island a few miles away from shore. We all know there won't be anything of interest once we actually get there – maybe a souvenir shop, or an inn, or something like that. That's why most of the students decided not to waste their time and money on this trip, and the ones that went did so because of the journey, not the destination. I mean, aside from the graduation ceremony, this will be the last big event we'll all attend, our last chance to have some fun together before the end. Luckily, most of my friends thought the same way.

I turn around and nod to the boy next to me. He adjusts his large, oval glasses and continues shouting at me. I don't pay attention to what he's saying, since it probably doesn't make any sense at all. This is Kenji, my flatmate and I suppose also my best friend. I can't say that I particularly like Kenji, at least not in the same way I like my other friends. However, his sheer insanity has a certain... charm to it. Ever since I arrived at Yamaku 8 months ago, there hasn't been a single day in which I didn't have to listen about the global feminist conspiracy, the drugs in the water and the ancient aliens. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before he reveals to me the truth about the ancient feminist alien who put drugs in the water as part of a conspiracy. This isn't exactly the topic of discussion I'd pick, but I guess I'm stuck with him for now. All the others have already paired up amongst themselves.

Right behind me, we have the dynamic duo, Emi and Rin discussing stuff that's only slightly less strange than what Kenji's talking about. When they first started studying at Yamaku, someone from accommodation decided they'd be perfect for each other and placed them in adjacent rooms. Why? The answer becomes obvious the moment you look at them. Rin was born without arms, and Emi lost her legs in an accident a few years ago. However, what the guy in charge of their rooms couldn't have possibly predicted was that the two of them would complement each other in more than one way. Honestly, I've always found Emi to be a bit of an airhead. I don't mean that in a bad way, as it makes her even cuter. Indeed, her appearance and behavior often resemble those of someone half her age, which makes her one of the most popular students at school due to that inexplicable charm that only little kids seem to possess. This quality of hers makes her the perfect conversational partner for Rin, whose insanity rivals even Kenji's. Actually, now that I think about it, I'm positive that she is crazier than my best friend. At least his theories actually made sense, and I would have believed him if I didn't already know they weren't true. The stuff that comes out of Rin's mouth is rarely coherent. After spending some time with her, I've learned to understand her randomness... Or rather, I've understood the fact that she **is** random, but I can see how someone she meets for the first time would be completely stupefied. I know I was. Then again, maybe that's how all artists are.

Right behind them is sitting the student council, in its entirety. As in, all two of its members. They're by far the loudest in the entire bus, which is truly an achievement considering Shizune, the student council president, is deaf and mute. On the other hand, her interpreter Misha is loud for two, and a bit more. The fact that she's so loud while "speaking" in sign language should blow my mind, but its novelty wore off soon after I transferred here. Pardon the inappropriate noun, but Shizune has never been the talkative type. Even after I learned sign language to try and make our communications easier, she still liked to keep to herself. I suppose that's for the best, since she's not exactly easy to get along with, anyway. There's a reason she's the student council president – she's the most controlling and strict person I've ever met in my life! Shizune likes to see everything, including running the school, as a game, and it doesn't really help that she's competitive to the point of obsessiveness.

To say the least, our row was pretty loud. The one next to us, though, was practically silent, and a quick glance at the people sitting there reveals why. The girl sitting right across me and Kenji is silently napping on her best friend's shoulder. Knowing her, it's probably better that she didn't experience all this noise, though one has to wonder how she's managing to sleep through it. Her name is Hanako, and she's got to be the shyest person in the school. When she was a child, a fire took the lives of both her parents and left her face and body scarred. Ever since then, she's been avoiding people like the plague. She doesn't speak much about her past, but I have my suspicions that the kids in middle school didn't respond well to her scarring and further traumatized her. Now, the only people she's willing to socialize with are me and Lilly, the girl sitting next to her. Ah, yes, Lilly, every English gentleman's wet dream. She's quiet, always polite (even when she's angry) and enjoys a quiet tea break more than anything else in the world. I suppose a part of it comes from the fact that she's completely blind, and another from her heritage, as she comes from a rich Scottish family. I suppose that's as close as I'd get to being friends with a princess. Being around someone who can't see her scars probably got Hanako to relax around her when they first met, and they quickly became inseparable. The more I look at them, sitting side by side in the bus, the more I'm smiling. It's rare to find friendship as beautiful and pure as theirs.

Right behind her are the duo of Saki and Akio, the only people from my class to require a cane for walking. I'm not very close to them, but they appear to be very good friends, and, if I had to make an educated guess, I'd say they were together from even before high school. I haven't really noticed any romantic sparks flying between them, but who knows? In any case, it's none of my business. I'm just happy they have each other, since both of them need someone for support. Akio has osteoporosis, which means his bones are really fragile and weak. While he can't participate in any physical activities, he's utilizing his other talents to the fullest. For example, he has an unnatural knack for technology. When he gets his hand on a piece of hardware, his first instinct is to disassemble it and see how everything inside works. The other students have taken notice of this, and Akio's become the "go-to" person when a piece of equipment malfunctions. Most of the time, he manages to fix them, or at least pour a little more life into them, even without all the necessary parts he'd normally need for such a repair. Overall, he's not too concerned about his condition. "I don't need my legs to fix stuff", he rightfully told me when we were chatting casually once. Saki, on the other hand, can't afford to be so carefree. Spinocerebellar ataxia. It's a condition that slowly causes you to lose control over your body. First goes the ability to walk. Then you become paralyzed completely, unable to feed or speak. Finally, your body forgets how to breathe. Saki has been sick ever since she was born. You could argue that my arrhythmia is just as potentially fatal, but it's not – with medicine and exercise, I'll probably die of old age before I get that fatal heart attack. Saki's not so lucky. She knows her story won't have a happy ending. From what I've heard, no one can tell exactly how much time she has, but every doctor agrees it's not long. And yet Saki isn't despaired by this. She's not angsty, or mean, or depressed. She's cheerful, outgoing, fashionable and quirky, just like most healthy people her age. She's one of the prettiest girls in Yamaku, partly because I rarely see her without a genuine smile on her face. Whether she's truly enjoying every day she has, or this is simply a coping mechanism for sorrow hidden deep inside her heart, I'll never know. One thing's for sure, though – Saki is probably the student I admire the most in the entire school.

Right behind them, a dark-skinned girl with just a bandage where her left hand should be is explaining something to her sleepy-looking friend. They are Miki and Suzu, two of my classmates. Miki has always been close to me. She's probably the only girl amongst my group of friends that I wouldn't really consider dating if she asked me out. Not because she's not beautiful or anything like that, since she is, but rather, it's because I can't help but see her as a "bro". If she asked me out on a date, I'd probably react the same way I would if Kenji did. Her attitude, her mannerisms, her interests, our conversation topics, the advice she gives me... One has to wonder if she wasn't a guy who underwent some sort of surgery or something. Well, I'm pretty sure that's not the case... I hope. I'm not too close to Suzu. Frankly, I don't think she's really close to anybody, which is understandable, considering her condition. Narcolepsy is often made fun of in manga, but it's no laughing matter. It's dangerous and humiliating. Even I know that, and Suzu's had to live through it every single day. I guess that's why she doesn't really let people close to her – she's afraid she'll be a burden to them. Seeing her speak with Miki is nice, but I wouldn't bet on the two of them becoming friends. It's not really anyone's fault, that's just how Suzu is.

And of course, in the very back of the bus, we have our loners. I don't really know either of them, since all three aren't too sociable. Takashi, the boy with the bandage over his ear, is from my class. All I know is that he's an artist. That's it. He doesn't speak much with anyone. Hell, even Rin (who is a member of the art club and probably the most renowned artist in the school) doesn't really know much about him, and she's one of those that REALLY put their nose into other people's business, consciously or not. Takashi has crossed his legs and is scribbling something inside his scratchpad. I guess it would be interesting to see what exactly he's drawing, but then again, I don't care all that much. Right next to him is Rika. She has a heart condition very similar to my own, so I thought we would have a lot of stuff in common. I was wrong. Even though I hear she's quite popular around school, no matter how much I tried to be friendly, I was quite thoroughly ignored. When I asked my friends about this, the most common answer I got was "She's just like that". Eventually, I gave up and simply left her alone, just like most of the people I'm close with have.

And right beside them, a boy with short, blond hair and light-green eyes is sitting calmly and reading a book, with a faint smile on his lips. His name is Leo Harway, and he just transferred to Yamaku a few weeks ago. I've never really had the chance to talk to him, but I don't really need to do that to learn what he's like. After all, it only took him a few days to become one of the most popular discussion subjects among the students, and it's not hard to see why. First of all – even though I'm a guy, I can definitely admit that he looks good. He's not one of these "alpha males" that seem to be popular in the West. If anything, his features make him appear slightly feminine, but they suit him. His eyes have this mysterious appeal behind them that just draws you in and makes you want to learn more about him. It's actually really fascinating to see how little emotion they betray. Even though his lips are always curved in this faint, polite smile, you can never tell if he's happy, sad, neutral, angry or depressed. I guess that's just how people from the West are. After all, Lilly is half-Scottish, and she's not exactly the most expressive person I know, even if her level of expression is ages above Leo's. I guess I forgot to mention another thing that makes him so popular – he's British. He doesn't have a drop of Eastern blood in his veins, yet his Japanese is still impeccable. Not only that, he can apparently speak at least a dozen more languages just as fluently. There is a rumor that he's actually the heir of the western Harway Corporation (one of the most powerful and influential organizations in the world) who escaped to Japan because he couldn't handle the responsibility, but honestly, he doesn't seem the type to run from stuff like that. Besides, having another heir to an influential western corporation in my school would just be too much, even if the Harways are miles ahead of the Satous in that regard.

'Hey, Kenji...' I turn to my best friend, suddenly interrupting his speech. 'You think Leo over there is really connected to the Harway Corporation?'

'Hm?' he stops, not paying much attention to my rudeness. Guess he's just ignorant like that. Or he genuinely didn't notice. With Kenji, you can never be sure. 'Why do you ask?'

'I just thought you might have a few conspiracy theories about him, that's all'

'They're not theories if they've been proven, man!' Kenji snaps at me as I look away to avoid the oncoming storm of spittle approaching from his mouth. 'Then they're called "facts"!'

'Well, have any of your... facts actually been proven?'

'It's just a matter of time, dude!' he yawns and leans back into his chair, then closes his eyes. 'Just a matter of time...'

Kenji's yawn is contagious, as I quickly follow in turn. It's been quite a long trip, so it's understandable that we're all a little tired. Besides, he wouldn't stop screaming at me throughout most of the journey, so I can tell why he'd want to rest a little. What I can't tell, though, is why everyone on the bus quickly follows in turn.

I rise up in my seat and look around. As far as I can see, every single one of my friends is relaxed in their seats, in deep sleep. The always energetic Misha is leaning to the right, in a position that can't possibly be comfortable to sleep in. Miki is slowly sliding down from her seat, until the inevitable happens and she stumbles down onto the floor. Even that's not enough to wake her up. To be honest, if it wasn't for Kenji's loud snoring right next to me, I'd have assumed that everyone around me just died all of a sudden. But even though I know that they're all sleeping, it doesn't make the situation any less weird. I know I should really worry, but my own mind is slowly fading away as well.

Suddenly, I notice someone walking beside me. Well, "walking" is a generous term for the way he drags his feet across the floor in a desperate attempt to stay awake, really. I look up, and eventually recognize his features through my quickly closing eyes. Leo is slowly making his way to the nearest window that he can actually access. That's odd... While his faint smile is completely gone, his eyes are as calm as ever. Does nothing faze this guy? Or perhaps there's something more to it that my half-asleep brain can't comprehend?

After what seems like hours, Leo finally reaches the window and tries to pull it open, with no luck. Yes, I do remember that none of the windows could really open when we tried them earlier. Sure, I thought it was a little odd, but aren't a lot of buses made with windows that can't open? I never gave it a second thought until now.

Just as Leo finally gives up on the window and falls on the floor unconscious, the realization hits me. They gassed us. That's gotta be it. There's no other possible explanation for what just happened. Leo must have realized this far sooner than me, which is why he actually tried to do something about it. But... Why would anyone try to put us to sleep? I don't get it...

Are we... being kidnapped?

I suddenly find myself... someplace else. I can't quite understand where I am just yet, but I'm definitely not in the bus. I'm lying on my back in some dark room. After a few seconds, my vision clears, but I'm still not able to see too much due to the darkness. That's odd... In movies and books, people always complain of headaches after regaining consciousness, but I don't really think I sense something like that. If anything, I feel like I've just woken up from a deep, long sleep – a bit disoriented, but otherwise well-rested and calm. Oh yeah, I was just kidnapped, wasn't I? I suppose I should be a bit more concerned, maybe even terrified, but I'm not. I'm just very, very confused.

With some effort, I manage to push myself up and sit down on the floor as my eyes are slowly adjusting to the darkness. The room is pretty big, maybe a little bit bigger than our classroom. Actually, now that I think about it... This does kind of resemble a classroom! There's a black board on the wall right in front of me, and I'm sure I can make out the silhouettes of desks stacked on top of each other at both sides of the room. The floor feels like a classroom floor as well – it's dusty (even by classroom standards) and is made out of wood. Judging by the amount of dust, I'd say this room hasn't been used for anything in weeks.

I rub my eyes once more and look around. Lying on the floor all around me are the rest of my friends. Looks like I was the first one to come to. I get on all fours and crawl towards the person closest to me. The darkness is still concealing most of the details from me, but I'm pretty sure I recognize her.

'Hanako! Hey, Hanako! Wake up!' I whisper. The girl opens her eyes.

'H-Hisao?' she stutters and looks at me, still half-asleep. 'What h-happened?'

'I'm not sure... I think that...'

Suddenly, something on Hanako's neck catches my attention. I can't make out what it is, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't there before. It's made out of metal. Could it be a necklace or something like that? I don't remember Hanako ever wearing jewelry... I slowly extend my hand and touch it.

'H-Hisao? What...' Hanako asks in confusion before she finally feels the cold metal around her neck. She immediately grabs it with both hands and tries to pull it off, without much luck. Her eyes start filling up with tears. Something's not right at all.

A bit cautious, I slowly raise my hand towards my own neck. My body goes stiff when I realize the same metal... collar thing was placed around me as well. Shit... Suddenly, the realization that I was kidnapped finally hits home. I grab the collar with both hands and try to yank it off, just like Hanako did. I know it's useless, but I'm powerless to stop it. Panic is quickly filling up every corner of my body. What the hell... What is this thing over my neck? Why is it there? What do they want from me?!

The sudden flash of bright light blinds me and interrupts my thoughts. The brightness burns through my sensitive retinas, as if someone's pressing a torch against my face. I quickly cover my eyes with my palms and moan from the pain, which thankfully subsides quickly. Gradually, the world around me starts to gain shape again, and before long, my vision is back to normal. By now, all of my friends are awake and sitting up. Some have discovered their collars and are desperately trying to get them off, while others are talking amongst each other and asking the same questions that undoubtedly float through everyone's minds right now. I look around and try to see if everyone's okay. Hanako quickly looks through the crowd, then crawls up to Lilly as soon as she spots her. Emi starts trembling like a leaf as soon as she feels up the metal around her neck. Saki is crouched down next to Akio and is talking about something, with concern in her eyes. I guess she's worried his fragile bones might have gotten broken while he was being transported. On the other hand, Rin and Suzu are simply scanning around, looking kind of sleepy. I guess they either haven't realized yet that we've been kidnapped, or they just don't care. For a moment, my eyes cross with those of Leo, who seems to be looking around just like I am. The smile I had thought was permanently embedded to his face was now gone, yet his eyes still remained cold and analytical as ever. If I had to guess, I'd say he was already looking for a way out of this predicament.

A few loud claps make everyone shut up and turn their heads towards the door. Honestly, this is the first time I even noticed there was a door. I guess it was obvious, but considering the stress and the panic inside the room, it's no wonder everyone missed it. Besides, considering the level of precaution of whoever organized this kidnapping, it would've most likely been locked anyway.

Slowly, a man in an official black and red suit starts making his way towards the center of the room, closely followed by two soldiers. At least, I think they're soldiers. Their uniforms and machine guns tell me this much. But they're also wearing gas masks. Is there still gas in the room? Or do they want to hide their identities? Either way, I don't think it really matters much. Not when there are far more important questions floating in the air.

The man in the suit doesn't really bother with a mask. All he has is a black piece of cloth that goes around his head and covers his left eye. He claps a few more times, just to hammer down his presence in the room a bit more. Just now, I notice how unnatural this clapping sounds. This can't be a sound produced by human hands. It sounds more like he's wearing some sort of medieval armor on his wrists, even though they seem perfectly normal to me. All he's covered them with are ordinary leather gloves.

'Happy Hunger Games!' the man finally speaks. His voice has a weird accent. I can't quite pinpoint where he's from, but I'm absolutely positive he's not Japanese. Have we been smuggled overboard to be sold as slaves or something?! And what was that about the Hunger Games? Like in that movie? I look around a bit. Everyone's giving the others weird looks, but we're still way too scared to say anything.

'Come on, that's what you kids say, right?' the man keeps talking. 'Let's have a little pop quiz! Who here has read "The Hunger Games"? Come on, don't be shy, just lift your hands up!'

For a few seconds, no one even moves a muscle. Saki is the first one to break the mold as she slowly raises her hand up. A few of the girls quickly follow her example, despite not really understanding what was going on.

'Okay, good, you can lower your hands. Now, who has read "Battle Royale"?'

"Battle Royale"? The name rings a bell. I don't think I've read it myself, but I'm absolutely positive I've seen it somewhere. Now, where was that... Could it be in the hospital's library? No, that's not it... Oh yeah, Hanako owned it, didn't she? I remember seeing her read it once or twice. I quickly turn to her, trying to be subtle and not expose her, in case she doesn't want to lift her hand up.

When I see her, Hanako is already curled up in a ball, crying her eyes out as Lilly's desperately trying to comfort her without words. I don't really get it. She was scared before, of course, but she wasn't borderline hysterical until after the mysterious man started to ask those weird questions.

'You see what I mean?' he speaks up again. 'Even though "Battle Royale" is a much better book in every single aspect, everyone your age won't shut up about how great "The Hunger Games" is! You guys have no taste, seriously! And don't tell me it's because of the romance, because "Battle Royale" had more and better romance than "The Hunger Games" can even dream of!'

'Why the hell are we here?!' I suddenly hear a familiar voice as Kenji stands up. 'Who are you, people? Just what are you trying to pull off?'

The man in the suit smiles.

'Patience, Setou-kun. Sit back down. I'll explain everything'

Reluctantly, Kenji obliges.

'You see, we're gonna do a small experiment here. A little "Shock and Awe" to see how far we can push the limits of the human mind before it completely snaps. So I started to think - "Shock and Awe", huh? Well, what's more shocking than a lightning? With lightning comes thunder. My thunder. You see, I am lightning, and thunder. So you can call me... Raiden' he grinned.

What the hell... Is this guy for real? This doesn't even make any sense! The students start whispering among themselves. I don't get it... "Raiden"? "Shock and Awe"? And what's this experiment he keeps mentioning?

'Please, please, hold your speculation until after I've explained everything' Raiden taps on the blackboard a few times. 'Now, the experiment will take place over 48 hours. If you complete it, you can go home and brag to your family about how awesome you are'

'And if we don't?' Kenji yells out again.

Damn it, Kenji, keep your damn mouth shut! This guy's a psycho, and he's got two armed soldiers with him! Just be quiet and let him talk!

'I'm getting there, Setou-kun' Raiden glared at him. 'I don't want to hear your voice again until we're done here. Ahem. The village we're in has been evacuated a week ago due to an accident. Of course, there was no such thing. It was all part of the plan. Throughout the week, my men cleared it out, making sure to remove all... questionable items, like cars, hidden guns, stuff like that. This village will be your playground. After the experiment starts, you'll be able to go wherever you want and do whatever you want. Only condition is to not leave the village. There will be armed guards on every exit who won't hesitate to shoot if you attempt to flee. Of course, they're there just for show. Don't get me wrong, they WILL shoot you if you approach them, you have my word as a gentleman, but I know none of you are going to approach them'

I'm so confused. What is he talking about? The island is our... playground? Is this some sort of game? And what's up with the death threats here?! He can't REALLY shoot any of us, can he? Then again, he managed to kidnap us... Out here, no one will really hear if we're shot... Shit, this can't be true! Raiden clears his throat again and keeps talking.

'The reason why I know you won't try to escape is because of those little gifts I've left each one of you' he points at his throat. Instinctively, I touch the metal collar around mine. 'Trust me – those collars can not be removed. Not by you. They can't be yanked away or cut off with a knife. If you attempt to fiddle with them and try to be smart, well... I've got some bad news for you. Every collar has a small amount of explosive inside it'

The moment he mentions the word "explosive" the entire classroom gasps. Some start trying to pull their collars off again, others just begin trembling at the thought of being caught in an explosion. The only thing I can do is slide my fingertips against the metal once more. I don't like having an explosive against my neck, but I don't think there's much I can do about it at this point.

'Calm down, calm down!' Raiden raises his voice. 'The explosive won't cause your body to combust or anything like that. The explosion will be small, just enough to completely destroy your throat. Death should be instantaneous... I think. I haven't actually tested one of these'

This causes an even bigger uproar, and with good reason. Is this guy for real?! Telling us we'll die anyway won't make us calmer at all! I still don't fully comprehend what's going on. From the looks of my friends' faces, neither do they. The only one who is calmly listening to Raiden is, of course, Leo. His faint smile is back. I get the feeling he has figured the situation out. Damn it, does he know something I don't?!

'All collars are set to detonate in exactly 48 hours. Now, any game designer can tell you that's a terrible and unfair mechanic. So, to make the game more interesting, I have a way to remove the collar right here' the man in the suit speaks once more, then reaches inside his pocket and takes out a small, silver key. It doesn't look like a door key, more like, one of those tiny ones you use to wind up toys and music boxes. 'This is your key out of here. Your prize for winning the game. It will remove your collar, and as an added bonus I'll give you a ride home, just because I'm a nice guy like that. Problem is, it only works once. You see where I'm going with this?'

Only works once? Wait... No, he can't be serious! I feel my chest tightening when the realization hits me. Of course, how didn't I figure it out earlier? Judging by the faces of my friends, I'm not the only one who understood what was going on.

'Exactly. Only one of you will leave the island alive' Raiden drops the atom bomb and leans back against the blackboard to enjoy our reactions. I bet he expected screams, panic and tears, but he's not getting any of those. We're all way too shocked for that.

'Hm' he squints his eye. 'Well, then. Each one of you will be given a bag containing a random weapon, plus some food, water and a map That's everything you're gonna get, since, as I mentioned, there are no weapons, or food, left in the houses. However, there are no rules against stealing the opponent's bag. Actually, there is only one rule: Do not die. If you die, the game is over for you. Kill or be killed. Law of the jungle, you know what I mean? When there's only one of you left standing, they'll get my key and a round of applause from all my soldiers!'

No one said anything.

'The collars you're all wearing detect your vital signs. It'll tell us who is dead and who's alive. There is no way to fool it, so don't try it. Every six hours, I will personally announce the recently departed. Gotta keep the game fair, right? I'll also tell you guys about the forbidden zones'

'Hm? Forbidden zones?' Saki speaks up. Raiden smiles at her.

'Glad you asked! The village has been divided into 15 equal zones. You can see them on the map you'll be given. Every time one of you dies, a random zone will turn into a forbidden one. If you step inside, your collar will start beeping, which is your cue to get the hell out of there. If you don't step back into a safe zone within 5 seconds, BOOM! Naturally, I don't need to mention that everything outside the borders of the village is always a forbidden zone. Which is why I mentioned the posted soldiers are more for show than for anything else. Now, before I let you guys out there-'

'THIS IS BULLSHIT!' Kenji stands up and starts yelling. 'You expect us to go out there and start killing our friends?! ARE YOU CRAZY?! None of us would ever do that! Some of us CAN'T do that even if we want to play your fucked up game! It was never fair to begin with!'

Raiden glares at Kenji and sighs loudly. He pushes himself away from the black board and starts to slowly approach my best friend.

'You know, Setou-kun, I really, REALLY can't tolerate outbursts like this, especially not when I'm trying to just have fun with all of you here. Besides, this is your third strike today' the man in the suit says, then quickly pulls out a tiny remote control, kind of like the ones used to unlock cars, and points it towards Kenji's head. 'I'm sorry, but you're out'

Suddenly, some sort of loud, electronic beeping echoes throughout the room. Everyone looks around, kind of startled by it. I don't need to search. The beeping is coming from Kenji's collar, no doubt about it. And that can only mean one thing. My friend starts trying to yank the collar away again.

'What'd you do? WHAT DID YOU DO?!' he screams in fear. It took me a while to fully realize what had happened, but... Raiden must have activated his collar. There's no way it can be anything else... But that means...

'Kenji!' I shout involuntarily.

'DUDE! HELP ME!' he looks at me, tears streaming down from his eyes. 'I DON'T WANT TO DIE!'

I start shaking. I don't even see the rest of the class anymore. My mind is purely focused on my best friend. The beeps from his collar last for about a second each, but they feel like eternity. I can't let him die! There's no way! I need to do something, but what?! Another beep sends tingles down my spine.

'WAIT!' I shout. It's not like it's gonna work. As crazy as Raiden is, I don't think he could really be convinced by words. At least not any words. What do I say? "You need him alive to play your game"?

That's way too long, and I only have a few seconds left! What should I say?!

'Kill me instead!' my mouth moves on its own. The man in the suit quickly lifts his remote again and presses the button, stopping the beeping. Kenji sighs and falls on his knees. The odor that fills the room tells me he has pissed himself.

'What did you say?' Raiden asks me.

I think about it. Trading my life for Kenji's... That's not a bad deal. If this fucked-up game is for real, then I probably won't survive very long. My arrhythmia won't let me overexert myself. I'll probably just get a heart attack the moment someone attacks me, and that will be that. Another pointless death. Kenji may be legally blind, but he's not completely blind. In any case, he'd have more of a fighting chance than I ever will. Besides, if this really is a game where you have to kill or be killed... Then it's nice to know that I refused to give in, and died to save someone's life.

'If you're gonna kill somebody, let it be me. I won't last five minutes out there anyway. My participation is pointless'

'HISAO, NO!' Emi stands up, with tears in her eyes. I glare at her. Sit back down, Emi, this is none of your business! You don't need to be involved in this! She understands me and reluctantly sits down.

'Whatever you say, kid' Raiden grins and points the remote at my collar, once again initiating the beeping.

So, I suppose this is it. I'm gonna die, and there's nothing I can do about it. I don't regret anything. I managed to make the most out of my life, no matter what. For a moment, I think about my parents. I actually haven't seen them since I arrived at Yamaku four months ago. I'll never get to say goodbye to them... I wonder how they will learn. Will anyone even discover my body and give it a proper burial? Or will Raiden and his men just dump us all into the ocean after they're done with us? Will more people even die? Maybe there is some way off the island. I trust my friends, I really do. If they work together, I'm sure they'll find some way to escape. Then again... I'm not sure if this is what I truly believe or what I want to believe. The people that brought us here seem to know what they were doing. I'm not sure if they have organized this twisted game in the past, but they appear to have thought of everything. And if there truly is absolutely no way to escape... Then the only thing anyone can do is play. Friends will turn on each other. Everyone I'm close to would die. And if that happens... then I don't want to be around for it.

The explosion is loud. It's tearing my throat apart. It doesn't hurt. Darkness quickly consumes me. So... there was no light at the end of the tunnel after all...

**STUDENT #4: HISAO NAKAI – DEAD**

**14 REMAIN**


	2. Chapter 2

My father has always been very demanding. I don't know if it's related to the shortcomings of his own upbringing, or if there is some other reason behind this attitude of his, but that's the way he has always been. His high expectations towards me and my brother have quickly escalated to impossible heights. At one point, I simply accepted the fact that no matter what I did, I would never be that perfect child for him, so I simply stopped trying. And he noticed that. I'm not sure if he was genuinely disappointed in me, or just considered me another failure, like my brother. In any case, his attitude towards me never really changed.

I don't even know why I'm thinking about my father at a time like this. I suppose I'm simply trying to grasp onto something, anything, that will get me out of the situation I'm in, if only for a few seconds. I do not like being here. It's... restricting. I have always been restricted. Restricted by my father, by my disability, by my friends, by my attitude... I wonder, will I ever be truly free?

I shake my head. Probably not. Even if I win this game, what is left for me to return to? A boring life filled with people I dislike. If I don't die today, then I will go back to being just an ordinary high school student. No, I will be even less than that... Even though my grades are good and I'll get plenty of recommendations from all of my teachers, I'll probably never live a life that I'll find fulfilling. I'll never get the job I want. I'll never meet people that will care about me. My disability puts a barrier between me and everyone else, and even if it wasn't there, I realize that I am not the easiest person to get along with. Throughout my entire life, I've only had two people that were close to me. One of them is already dead, and if I'm going to win this game, the other one will have to die as well. So why should I even bother playing?

No matter what I do, I will never be truly happy, at least not in the way a lot of people seem to feel this emotion. I'm guessing nobody else would be either, not after this. Anyone would break after being forced to kill their only friends, no matter how strong that person is. Most people would probably never even approach another human being again. Even the students with the strongest wills would be scarred beyond repair by an experience like this. From a certain point of view, no matter who wins, everyone loses. I try not to think about it like that. It depresses me. Aren't games all about having a winner? Isn't competition all about crushing your opponents and coming out on top?

That is what I believe in, at least. All my life has been a game not unlike this one. And so far, I have won almost every game I've played. Whether it's paper soccer, Risk or the student council president elections, I have always overcome all the obstacles placed in front of me. I like to think of everything I do as a challenge. My best friend once told me I was addicted to games, but that's not entirely true. I'm addicted to victory. Crushing the competition me feel good, if only for a short while.

As soon as I learned the rules, I knew that this would be something interesting and unique. To win, you need to be the last survivor, and everyone else has to die. The man calling himself Raiden already demonstrated that he was serious by taking the life of Hisao, a close friend of mine. He made it very clear that no one will be coming to save us, and no one will be escaping this island. If you want to live, you have to play. And I'm okay with that.

About twenty minutes ago, while the rest of the contestants were still in the classroom listening to Raiden's rules, a winning strategy appeared within my mind. I did not waste any time developing it. While everyone was too busy being shocked to even notice, I took out my small-sized notepad and a pen and began writing notes. I suppose most people would find carrying such items around in your pocket unnecessary, especially on a vacation, but I am not like most people. Communication has always been a big problem for me. My deafness often necessitates Misha, my best friend, to act as an interpreter. She's usually around me no matter what I do, but I still carry the notepad with me just in case we split up.

The notes weren't too long. I didn't have time for that, since I had to write one for everyone. "Go East, escape!" was all it said. I also had to be very, very careful not to be seen. I wasn't sure if passing notes beforehand was against the rules or not, so I chose to be safe rather than sorry. Fortunately, Raiden was way too busy dealing with Hisao and Setou to even notice me, but even then, I still couldn't write too many notes. In the end, I had only handed four notes to the people around me before the man with the eyepatch announced it was time for us to go. The first note went to Misha, of course. The second I gave to Emi Ibarazaki, who was sitting nearby, but that's not the only reason I chose her. Ibarazaki, aside from being one of the biggest troublemakers at school, is also quite popular. I was sure that she'd bring many people with her. The third note I gave to the queen of the blind bitches herself, Lilly Satou, my cousin. I didn't care that she was blind, or that she wasn't sitting too close to me. She just had to be there for this. Finally, I handed the fourth piece of paper to Leo Harway, that new Western kid. Honestly, there were two reasons why I picked him instead of anyone else. First of all, I wasn't really sure exactly what to expect from him. I didn't know him, and he seemed pretty unnerved throughout the briefing. It was better to include him in my plan early on. And second – he was the perfect target for me to pin this whole thing on.

What is the best strategy to win absolutely any competitive game ever made? It's simple – give the other players the illusion that they're ahead, and you're not. Get them to lower their guard, and use the opportunity to strike. This strategy also applied here. Now that I think about it, I'm glad I didn't give everyone a note. Now, all the people who actually received one consider themselves special enough to take part in the smart chick's escape plan, which would lower their defenses even further. If my plan works, very soon we should have at least half of the contestants right here in one place, all scared and confused, but also optimistic about their chances. It would be the perfect time for me to strike.

I grip the handle of the machine gun tightly. It's the weapon Misha found in the bag she was given before we left the classroom. She didn't really know how to use it, so she gave it to me. The weapon I got was a blunt kitchen knife, which I quickly threw away due to its uselessness. It's a good thing the two of us managed to meet up first, as that knife would have been completely ineffective for my plan. On the other hand, the machine gun is absolutely perfect. Once everyone gathers and turns their back on me, I will open fire. When I'm done, almost half of the contestants (possibly more, depending on how many people everyone brings) would be dead. The rest would be relatively easy to dispose of as well, especially considering the fact that I can use Misha's death to gain sympathy and trust. Unfortunately, the machine gun fire will be heard all over the island, so I'll have to leave it here in order to properly blame Leo for the attack, and make do with whatever weapon I could pick up from the bodies, but that's a small price to pay for making it almost halfway through the game before it's even really started.

I close my eyes for a bit as the cool ocean breeze passes by me, then continue to keep watch. This is the most eastern point of the village when you walk directly from the school. Incidentally, it's located right on the edge of the island we're on. It seems pretty steep – perfect for disposing of some of the corpses after death. If no one but me knows who's alive and who's dead, I'll have another clear tactical advantage.

I can feel Misha approaching me from behind. I can tell she's scared, and I don't blame her. She's usually the loud, obnoxiously cheerful girl with so much energy that she makes everyone else feel tired just by looking at her. Now is one of the rare times when she's actually miserable and quiet. I know that she probably wants to talk, but it's a little hard to do while both of my hands are occupied by the machine gun. True, the weapon comes with a strap that allows me to wear it around my neck, but I still prefer to hold it in my hands just in case. I also need to keep a lookout for anyone else who might be approaching (you never know if they'll be hostile or not – again, better safe than sorry), and besides... It's not like I really feel like talking to someone I know I'll personally kill soon.

Poor Misha... She's the only one who actually approached me and wanted to be my friend all this time ago. Following that, the two of us quickly became inseparable. She was always so happy to be with me, but the truth is... she never even realized how much she meant to me as well. Up until our meeting, I was used to being all alone in the world. Her friendship and loyalty is what saved me from my own pit of despair and loneliness. We got really close... maybe a bit closer than friends are supposed to be. She confessed to me once. I rejected her. Misha was a good friend to me, but unfortunately I didn't really feel anything more. After breaking her heart, I felt like the most horrible monster in the world. Our friendship would've ended right then and there, but I wasn't ready to go back into the abyss of loneliness just like that. I refused to let her go. I asked her... no, begged her to come back to me. Thankfully, she forgave me, and we continued being best friends like nothing had ever happened between us. And now, I will have to kill her.

I close my eyes once more, wondering if I will ever find someone like her again. Probably not. I shake my head, then refocus on attention on the woods in front of me. I can't allow myself to think about her like that. Misha is already dead, just like everyone else on this island. The person next to me is simply an enemy pawn that I'll take after a few good moves. Nothing more. …. Who am I kidding? As much as I want to, I can't bring myself to think about her like that.

My friend taps me on the shoulder. I'm a little bit startled, even if it's not uncommon for her to sneak up on people. I turn my head and glance at her. She points at something, or someone, in the distance. I squint my eyes to try and make out who it is, but all I can see is that someone short is slowly approaching us. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that it's Ibarazaki. That's weird, I thought she'd be sprinting towards us. Is the bag hanging around her neck slowing her down? Or is there another reason? She doesn't really appear to be wounded... or armed, for that matter. I suppose she's just being safe, which is completely understandable considering I'm holding a machine gun.

Once she's close enough, I grab the weapon tightly with my right hand to support its weight, then wave at her to come closer. She nods and starts walking a little faster than before.

'Are you guys the only ones here?' she asks and glances at both of us. Even though I'm deaf, I don't really need Misha to translate everything other people say to me. I'm surprisingly good at reading lips, even if I like to keep quiet about this ability of mine. After all, doing it puts a great strain on my eyes (which is why I need to wear glasses), and just reading what Misha is signing back to me is so much easier. Still, in a situation like this, I don't think I can be picky like that.

I let the machine gun hang on its strap around my neck, then raise my hands and begin signing. "There aren't many hiding spots around here" Yes, I understand that she's just trying to be cautious, but it really wasn't a very smart question. Besides, the fact that she came alone is pretty disappointing, so you can call this my unnecessary hostility an act of revenge. I turn to Misha and see her translating what I just said. Emi just nods. I expected her to be annoyed or something, but I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't even realize I was being snarky.

'I see' she finally speaks up. 'I hope you don't mind, but I passed the note onto Rin too. I was going to come with her, but we got separated after leaving the school'

Hmm, so that armless girl will show up as well? Honestly, she's never been a concern of mine – I sincerely doubt she'd be able to hold any kind of weapon with her feet. But still, I can't exactly complain that I'll get to eliminate one more person here. And who knows, maybe she'll bring even more people with her. It's improbable, but not impossible.

I turn away from Misha and Ibarazaki and look at the woods to the west again. There's still no sign of Satou or Harway, or anyone else, for that matter. Hmm, maybe the blind bitch "saw" through my trap? Damn, and I was hoping the fact that we're related would make her trust me. Getting to personally kill her after barely tolerating her for years was the one thing I was looking forward to the most in this game. Not to mention, if she had come, chances are Ikezawa would have been right behind her too, which would have increased my kill count after I finally sprung the trap. Well, even if she doesn't come here, we'll most likely bump into each other later on, and even if I can't personally snuff the life out of her, seeing her cold, dead body lying on the road would be just as good.

'Your note said something about an escape' Emi begins talking again. 'What do you mean? Do you have some sort of plan?'

I nod and raise my hands in front of me again. "I do, but we need more people. As many as we can possibly get"

Emi scratches her head, deep in thought. She probably doesn't even realize that this is a trap. Good. Now that she's here, I'm sure more people will pop up before long. Who knows, maybe someone else might have found one of the notes I left behind, and they'll bring even more victims. In order to make this plan successful, I need to have at least 8 contestants here, including me. So far, I have myself, Misha and Ibarazaki. Assuming the armless Tezuka doesn't bring anyone, that makes four. The blind bitch and her friend would make another two, and... Oh, yeah, I did give one note to Harway as well, didn't I? If he brings at least one person with him, this whole plan should work out without a hitch. Once everyone's here, I'll tell them to go and locate everyone else, and will open fire as soon as their back is turned. Even if some of them realize what's going on as I pull the trigger, there's little they can do to survive – after all, no one can really dodge bullets in real life. And even if one does live through the initial burst, killing them is only a matter of pointing the gun at them and shooting once more.

Damn, I really hope Misha dies in the initial onslaught... I'm not sure if I'd be able to specifically go up to her and execute her. Hmm... No, I would probably do it, but I'd like to avoid it if that's possible. I shift my eyes away from Ibarazaki and take the gun back in my hands. Its clip does seem pretty long... I wonder how many bullets it holds? Will they be enough for everyone here? What if I run out halfway through? Then I'd die for sure. I consider just firing the magazine away and counting how many bullets there are, but that would scare people away from this place, not to mention, it'd be a pointless waste of ammo. Of course, I could always just sit down, open the magazine and count them, but I really don't want to let my guard down, especially not when Ibarazaki is around too. I mean, she's not exactly the kind of girl who would consider stabbing me in the back, but you know – better safe than sorry.

Actually... CAN she stab me in the back, even if she wanted to? I let the machine gun down again and begin signing. "What weapon were you given?" I ask, and Misha promptly translates for me.

'Oh, my weapon? I dunno!' Ibarazaki laughs. 'Never had a chance to open the bag and actually see what's inside! Let's find out!'

She sits down right there on the ground and begins unzipping her bag. That idiot... She's being so careless! If I shot her right now, she'd be dead before she even realized what was happening. No, I must resist the temptation to do so, at least until we manage to get more people.

Ibarazaki exclaims something that I don't quite get, then lifts up a small bottle. If I had to guess, I'd say it's pepper spray or something similar. Good, if that's the case, she won't be a problem. In order to spray me, she'll need to get close, and I won't let her do that. Then again, even if she did manage to approach me, all she'd do is fog up my glasses a little. And, at that range, I really won't need the ability to see in order to kill her.

'Is that pepper spray?' Misha asks. I sigh quietly. 'Oooh, can I see it?'

Ibarazaki nods and quickly hands the bottle to my friend. Wow, she's even dumber than I thought! Giving your weapon away just like that because somebody asked you for it is suicide! I wonder if everyone else on this island is so stupid, or if she's just some kind of special case. Anyway, my chances of winning this seem to be even higher than I thought.

"Shicchan, I think someone else is coming!" Misha quickly signs to me while also speaking the words out. I quickly grab my machine gun again just to be safe and look towards the woods. At first I don't really see anything unusual, but after a few seconds, a silhouette begins to gradually take shape in front of me. I wonder, could this be Tezuka? No, I'm pretty sure this person has arms. I smile faintly at the thought that this could be the blind bitch, but the chance of that being the case is slim at this point. After they approach even more, the blond hair and big, green eyes quickly make it obvious that it's Harway.

He doesn't appear to be armed, at least as far as I can see. He's not even carrying his bag! He's walking slowly towards me... No, it's not particularly slowly, he's just not running. He's not being as cautious as Emi was. His expression is calm, and, as always, there is a faint, gentle smile on his face. It's like he has this entire game under control, even though it just started.

'So I take it I've come to the right place?' Leo asks and looks around, his eyes analyzing us one by one. 'I expected that there would be more people'

I want to respond to him and tell him that so did I, but to do so, I'll have to let the gun go, and I don't trust him enough to do that just yet. I glance at Misha, hoping that she would be able to explain it to him. My friend quickly translates what he just told me, then starts speaking.

'Well, this game has just started! I'm sure more people will come along soon!'

'Ah, I see' Harway nods, then approaches me. I take a step back out of instinct. That's odd... My mind feels completely calm with him around, yet my body still tenses up. This can't be good. I grab a hold of the weapon even more tightly and place my finger near the trigger. Leo smiles.

'You're not holding it right. Your hand needs to be lower, like this' he says and reaches forward. I move the gun away. I don't want him to touch me, especially not while I'm armed. Misha starts laughing next to me. Well, at least something good came out of this – I hadn't seen her laugh since we were on the bus.

"Shicchan, your face is sooo red!" she signs to me and laughs once more. It... is? I don't really think so, but if Misha wants to mistake my cautiousness as a sign of shyness because a boy was about to touch my hand, then so be it. Considering what I'm about to do to her, she deserves at least one last moment of happiness before the end. My friend quickly translates what Leo said, and I pretend that I understood it just now.

'Put your right hand just a bit lower' he instructs me and leans forward. 'You might also want to turn the safety off if you actually intend to shoot someone'

...Eh? Is he seriously claiming the safety was off all along? Damn it, of course, I completely forgot that guns were supposed to have a safety lock! Then again, I've never even seen a gun in my life. The only reason I know how to hold it is because I saw a few foreign films some time ago. Using my left hand, I carefully shift the small switch on the side of the machine gun, pointing it towards the letters "AUTO" inscribed into the metal. Now, it should work.

'Whoah, you sure know a lot about guns, uhm... Leo, right?' Ibarazaki smiles.

Harway shakes his head.

'Not a lot. Just some basic things I was taught back home. For example, I know that the model Miss President is holding is an Ingram MAC-10. An American gun, in all probability imported. Its recoil makes it very inaccurate and practically useless at long range, and its short barrel doesn't produce nearly enough stopping power for it to be very effective against anyone wearing body armor. I assume it was given to you because there's little to no chance you could actually hurt any of the soldiers if you tried. Not to mention, since I think this is the 9mm version, it only has 32 bullets in its magazine, which, in the hands of an inexperienced shooter, will be emptied within a second and won't really be enough to kill everyone'

I flinch when he mentions "killing everyone". Could he have possibly seen through my plan? No, if he did, why is he here? He's probably talking about the game in general.

'Oh, it's okay!' Misha grins. 'We're not gonna kill anyone, remember? Shicchan knows a way off the island! And besides, even if we did have to shoot, I also has two whole boxes of ammo in my bag!'

I glare at her. Nice, going, Misha, why don't you go ahead and reveal all our secrets to him so that he has a tactical advantage over us if he decides to attack? True, the fact that he told me about the safety means that he's probably on our side, but still... Better safe than sorry.

'Wow, you really are as smart as they say you are, Leo!' Ibarazaki gasps. 'Have you actually... you know, fired a gun before?'

He nods

'Not this model, but I have experience with other weapons, primarily pistols and submachine guns. Still, handling it would not be too difficult once I get used to the recoil'

Misha grins and turns to me.

"Hey, Shicchan, why don't you give him the gun? He appears to know what he's doing!" she quickly signs to me without saying it out loud. I suppose that even she knows she has to be discreet in this situation. I just shake my head and grip the gun tightly. If we were actually going to try and survive as a group, giving Leo the gun would have been the best idea, but that's not exactly my plan. "Are you sure about this? I think it's okay for us to trust him. He wasn't going to tell you about the safety if he was intending to kill you!" she signs to me again.

'How long have you waited here?' Leo asks. I try to pay attention to both his lips and Misha's signing at the same time, which isn't very easy. I feel like I've missed a few of his words, but overall, that should be the meaning behind what he said.

'Huh? Uhm...' Misha turns to him and rolls her eyes. 'About... An hour? No, more like, half an hour. No, it was more than that, uhm... About 45 minutes?'

'I see. So no one else will be coming after all. That's disappointing, but I suppose it can't be helped'

What is he talking about? No one else is coming? He can't possibly know that! I mean, it hasn't been that long! True, our spot on the edge of the island isn't THAT far away from where everyone started, but maybe people got lost! There will be more students coming, I know it! I let the gun hang around my neck again and begin signing.

"Hey, listen, you-"

The sharp pain in my side suddenly makes me freeze in place. I slowly move my head down to examine its source. W-wait... What is this knife doing sticking out of me?! It wasn't there before! Ow... Shit, it hurts so much! The pain is quickly spreading across my entire body, paralyzing me. I don't even understand what happened! I shift my eyes up again. Leo is holding the rather military-looking knife by its handle. He pulls it to the side, which shifts the blade inside of me and sends another wave of crippling pain within. Shit, it hurts so damn much... I didn't think being stabbed would be this painful... Where did he get that from, anyway?!

Before either Misha or Ibarazaki realize what has happened, Leo takes the machine gun hanging around my neck and points it at my best friend. His permanent smile is still spread across his face as he pulls the trigger, sending a storm of bullets towards her. The metal penetrates her body, tearing up her chest and abdomen. Her white shirt turns red in a matter of seconds. She keels over and vomits some blood, then collapses on the ground.

Finally, that bastard pulls the knife out of me, which puts me on my knees as well. Leo uses the opportunity to quickly remove the strap of the machine gun from my neck. He raises it up and points it at Ibarazaki. His stance is perfect. So he wasn't lying when he said he could handle the gun... Unfortunately for him, the girl is faster than us, and she's already far away. Harway hesitates for a moment, then lowers his weapon. I guess he figured out that he couldn't hit her at that range, and decided to save his bullets.

Shit... I'm bleeding really badly. I can't move my body at all, and the pain just won't go away! Leo approaches Misha and kicks her body with his foot, turning her over. Her eyes are blank and still. Damn it, DAMN IT! This wasn't how it was supposed to happen! He kneels down next to her and opens her bag, then checks inside. Once he's satisfied by its content, he pulls it over and throws the strap around his neck while standing up.

Ow... The knife wound in my side won't stop hurting. I finally manage to move my hand down and press against it to try and stop the bleeding. Harway notices that. He smiles and begins walking next to me, still holding the bloody army knife in his hand. Shit, I don't want him to stab me again! It hurts so damn much! I try to get away, but my legs won't move at all. My vision's getting blurry. I can't even tell if my glasses are still on my face or have fallen off. I suppose they must be there, since I can see his face clearly. He starts to talk.

'You should have assumed that more people would see through your trap' he says and smiles once more. I suppose he noticed that I was reading his lips earlier. 'Your arrogance killed you. If you had begun shooting when I was close to you, you would have killed me'

I shake my head. That damn bastard! So he knew all along?! Then why did he come here in the first place? If everyone else who figured out my plan stayed away, then why did he approach me? Suddenly, it becomes very clear to me. I gasp. Of course... It's so obvious now. He is just like me. He's not running for his life, or trying to find some way to escape.

Leo Harway is playing to win.

Damn... How could I be so stupid? He managed to use my own plan against me! The boy kneels down next to me and raises his knife, then quickly brings it down, striking my heart. This time, it doesn't really hurt all that much.

So he really is as brilliant as everyone claimed he is... Now that he's armed with a weapon as powerful as a machine gun, no one will be able to stop him from winning. And nobody should. For the first time in my life, I am willing to admit defeat.

**STUDENT #9: SHIINA MIKADO – DEAD**

**STUDENT #13: SHIZUNE HAKAMICHI – DEAD**

**12 REMAIN**


	3. Chapter 3

**NOTE: This chapter was written by guest author Ben, the admin of a Facebook page called "Katawa Shoujo trivia and facts". I had a lot of trouble getting into Rin's head, so I asked him for help, and (in my opinion) he did a spectacular job. If you are a KS fan, you should go and like his page not only because he deserves it, but also because it's got tons of really interesting facts about the game that I'm sure most of you didn't know.**

The sky is perfect. It's always different, but always perfect in its difference. I am a sky expert. An expert on the sky. I like to think that.

I sense that collar thingy around my neck. It's cold. I don't like it. There was a bag. The bad man gave it to me. It was heavy and big. I can't carry it. I have no arms. I don't regret that, I can do most of things. I can paint. I want to paint. But I can't here.

I walk in an empty street. I saw nobody since I left the group. I wonder how they are doing. Emi is probably running around. I smile a bit. She's always running, a real horse. I want to paint. Anything. But I can't.

Rin Tezuka is a weird person. I hear that a lot. I'm thoughtless and random, and I creep people out. I can't think about four things at the same time. I don't understand a lot of things. Words. I am bad with words. They keep escaping me. People avoid me. That doesn't disturb be too much, but I feel like an alien. Maybe I am an alien. From a butterfly planet. I love butterflies. They are pretty and colorful, and people look at them. But in the end they are so small and lost in their horde (is that the word?) that everyone forgets about them.

I didn't understand all of what the man called Raiden said, but it was about us dying. I don't know how death is. People who experience it don't talk about it. Or maybe ghosts do, but they never talked to me. One person will live. It won't be me. I can't fight, or run. I can paint. Painting isn't for killing people. I don't know why I paint exactly, but it's not for that. I paint because it's the only time when I feel like I'm feeling... something. An emotion. I feel alive.

The game. Is this even a game? I don't like games. Emi tried to play games with me, but I'm not competitive enough, she likes to say. She talks a lot. She talks like she runs, she doesn't stop. She's like a fly buzzing around. Sometimes annoying, but she's still interesting. We do things we can't, just because we can. She runs without legs. I paint without arms. We are alike. She always pampers me too much, but I'm happy I met her. She doesn't understand me, but she is here. That is important. Being here. Am I here? My mind is elsewhere. Underwater. I wouldn't like Emi to die. She knows death better than me.

I need to paint. I can't. That's frustrating. I'm going to die here, probably. I never thought about death. I don't like to think. And I don't like dead things, especially with eyes. Will I be as creepy as them if I die? Like a rubber duck? How does it feel to be dead? I'm thinking too much. No good. I need to think about nothing. Even if nothing is something. I enter a house. Empty.

Nothing in here. It's like this whole town was a painting. You see it, but if you get into it you realize it's empty. Or maybe you fill it up yourself. Am I like this empty house? Must I fill it with my mind? I feel dizzy. Butterflies in my head, always. I want to take a nap now. I can sleep anywhere, those two mean girls are always telling me to stop it. They were here too. I am sure the deaf one could win. She is a mean person. She hurts.

I sit under the stairs. The ground is cold and dusty. I kick my sandals and draw in the dust. Finally I can do something. And think about nothing.

... Is that death? That's how I see it. I shouldn't think about it. Thinking is bad. Every time I try to, everything becomes messy. People don't understand me, but I don't understand myself either. I'm bad with words. People always end up getting mad at me, even Emi. My thoughts are like butterfly vomit, they just go through my mouth in a complete mess, and I can't help it. I wish I understood why I am like this, but I don't. So people get mad, they get hurt, and I'm alone again.

Alone. I paint so that people can see me. But they don't.

I shiver. I don't want to die without meeting my real self. Why did this have to happen? What am I doing here?

Hisao... I didn't know him much, but he disappeared just like that. He was like me, his disability wouldn't let him survive here. Am I going to explode too? I'm thinking too much again. I must sleep. Everything will be better. Dreams are good. They are messy too, but in a comfortable way. I like them. I'm free in them, I can fly. I close my eyes.

Stars. They shine from far away, out of everyone's reach. They don't always appear either, but they are here, maybe shouting that they want to be seen and understood. The Sun hides them. I'm a little star, far from this world. Sometimes people look at me, but they quickly forget me as the Sun appears. My Sun is my brain, hiding my starry brightness by making my thoughts messy. Then people don't see me anymore.

But sometimes I find the right words. And I shine. But I'm just a star lost in the sky. Nobody notices, and nobody understands. My Sun is too bright.

I turn into a butterfly. There are some others. I see an Emi butterfly, but also Hisao, the blind girl and the Mystery Toilet Girl, the deaf duo, Takashi and others who were in that bus, I think. We fly together. We're alike. We understand each other. They fly towards me. They want to hug me. Butterflies can't hug. I can't either. But they try.

A big hand takes Hisao and crushes it. Our horde splits, leaving me alone. The big hand approaches me. I try to fly, but I don't have wings anymore. I fall on the ground. The hand app-

Loud noises. I wake up, startled. I slept. What are these noises? They come from far away but are as loud as a horde of Emis.

I... I don't want to die. I want to live and to paint, because that's what I do. But if the man was right, I'm over. I can't do anything. Why do I have no arms? I regret it for the first time. It's unfair. I feel a bitter taste in my mouth. I bite my lips. I didn't regret who I was. Now that I am useless, I do. I shouldn't. Bad. Calm down. Stop thinking. You are Rin. You must... do something. Paint. Maybe. Try to do a thing you can't do, because you can.

I walk to the door, but my legs won't support me. I fall on the ground. My back hurts. My body is made of slugs. I don't... No. I have to accept it. It is the end. I must die. I can't escape, I can't fight, I can't paint. I'm already dead. I stand up and manage to get outside. It's probably late in the afternoon. I see no one. I decide to go over the loud sound I just heard. I feel I have to do it. I am over. My life ends here, without getting to know myself. Without finding someone that would say "I understand how you feel". So I walk.

I see something in the distance. I approach. It's... It's Misha and Shizune. They are lying down on the ground, but they aren't asleep.

They are... dead.

They experienced this new perspective. Maybe they're happy now. Misha is full of holes and Shizune has two wounds. Blood everywhere. It's the first time I see something like this. Blood... Paint. Painting. It's why I live. Maybe I can live a bit more.

So I sit beside them. I kick my sandals. I put my toe into the lake of blood next to their bodies. And I paint on the ground. I paint again. I paint Emi. I feel alive. I feel...

What is this? I feel something running down my cheeks. Am I... crying? I never cry, why is this happening? My thoughts are even more messy. Blood... I don't want to die. No. I stand up. I smell the scent of death. I throw up. Why... My vision is blurry. I don't want to be like them. No no no. I laugh. I never laugh. Why am I laughing? Because... I am already dead. I died long ago, I died a little every day. Each person who rejected me was a part of me dying. Now it is over.

The sun is setting. There is a cliff not far... I must fly. Fly away. Like the butterfly I am. I want to do this. Feel alive, one last time. So I walk again. My collar thingy starts to beep. Beep beep beep. Quiet, you're worse than Emi. Beep beep beep. Emi, don't die. Beep beep beep.

I start to run towards the edge. I never run. . Emi tried to make me but I never did. I trip but keep going. Beep beep beep. I want to fly away. To be alive for a bit. To be... myself... To...

I'm almost here. I start deploying my short arms. I can fly.

BLAM

What was... My belly hurts. I stop and look at it. It's red. The same red I used to paint my final work. It hurts. I am melting. I look behind me. A man with a big weapon is pointing it at me. Emi... I don't want to die. I want to be alive one last time. I run again.

BLAM

My chest... I fall to the ground, feeling my world disappearing. It was my world. Only mine.

Emi...

I... wanted someone to be with me. To feel something.

My eyes close. A new perspective...

**STUDENT #11: RIN TEZUKA – DEAD**

**11 REMAIN**


	4. Chapter 4

Damn it damn it damn it damn it damn it damn it DAMN IT! I knew this would happen! I always knew those feminist bitches would do something like that! I fucking knew it! No one would listen! No one ever listens! They pretend and nod and move their eyes and wave and then go without really understanding my warnings! All of them! No one listens, and now they'll die! That's what happens when you don't listen! You die! Die die die die die die! Just like Hisao! He never listened! Now he's dead! Dead!

My legs hurt. I'm not used to running so much. I don't like going out. Never did. It's not safe outside. All kinds of traps set by the feminists to decrease our numbers. Broken street lights. Alligators in the sewers. Supposedly random muggings. All part of their plan. They want domination. They want control. I'm not gonna let them control me! I'll show them! Dirty feminists! I'll kill every single one of them, then we'll see who'll get the last laugh!

Indeed, I was blessed in my quest against the feminist conspiracy. It must have been a sign from heaven that I received the best weapon in the game! The revolver weighs five tons, but those bullets can kill anything! I heard on TV once that you can kill an elephant with just a few. That was while I was still watching TV. I don't anymore. Too many damn subliminal messages. All saying the same thing. Obey. Obey. Obey. Obey.

Shit, it's so heavy and uncomfortable. Maybe I should put it back in my bag? No, what if a feminist jumps out? I should be ready to kill her! Safety's off, barrel is loaded, I am just a second away from ending the life of anyone who opposes me! I must not get careless! I can see them! Their shadows running across the trees. Never stopping. Never attacking. Just observing. From a distance. Once I look up and focus my eyes, they're gone.

My eyes. They're broken. No part as a part of a conspiracy. I'm special. The chosen one. The messiah. The last sane man in an insane world. No doubt the feminists realized that. They did this to me. Who else could have the technology needed to mess up my eyes that badly? No one else. Just them. Gotta be them. Damn, dirty feminists. I can't see. I can't see anything at all. Not even a little. But I outsmarted them. Got myself some glasses. Bet they didn't expect that.

Now I can see, but not too well. Just a little. But it's enough. Enough to see the madness around me. Madness back home. Madness here as well. They're watching. Observing. They want me to die. This whole thing is their setup. It's gotta be. No other explanation. They've observed me all my life. There hasn't been a single day in which I haven't been under their influence, in one form or another. They sent me to that feminist-controlled school just to keep me in check. When that didn't work, they sent one of their filthy spies to seduce me!

Damn you, Yuuko! I hate you so much, and I love you so much! I hate you for what you did to me. I hate you with a passion, from the bottom of my soul. But I also love you more than anything. You opened my eyes. You let me see the conspiracy around me. If it wasn't for you I still would've been one of those sheep that blindly follow the orders of the feminists! You helped me see through their deceit, and I thank you for that. But it still doesn't change the fact that you broke my damn heart. You cut me more deeply than anyone ever has. The pain this feminist island has caused me is nothing compared to the one you inflicted!

I lean back on a tree to catch my breath. I'm dead tired... I just want to go home. Back to my room. It's safe there. I had it all figured out. All of my anti-feminist tools were there. If they had assaulted my home, I would've been safe! Clever bitches, they are! I bet they knew all about my secret weapons! That's why they dragged me all the way here, didn't they? But the joke's on them! A real man can survive even in the wild! I have trained my body just for this occasion! I can do it! I can win their fucked up game, and then I can go and kill that shithead Raiden. Yes, I'll enjoy putting a bullet straight through his eye!

That bastard... There's nothing more disgusting than a man who has bowed his head to the feminists! His very existence makes my insides turn! A man like him is no man at all! He deserves to die for his treachery! I'd be doing him a favor! Death would be a release next to this travesty! Indeed, it is my moral obligation as the last sane man on Earth to put him out of his misery, but there's also something else.

Hisao, my dear brother-in-arms, my comrade, my nakama, my soulmate, my best friend. Raiden killed him like a dog when he tried to protect him! He blew him up, just like that, like it was nothing! It was disgusting! No man should ever die like that! Us true, manly men must die fighting the feminist conspiracy, not on our knees begging for our lives! Look at what those dirty women brought us down to! Truly despicable! I'm sure Raiden recognized the potential within us two! He knew we'd team up and take down his entire feminist army! That's why he attacked us first! They tried to eliminate us early, but I survived! Killing him and not me will be their last mistake!

I start running again. Can't stay in one place for long. They're watching, always watching! They never cease! The shadowy figures, those damn, cloaked feminists! There's at least four of them in the trees around me right now, at least as far as I can see! I'm sure my radar at home would have picked up at least a dozen if I had it with me right now! Maybe I should have taken it. Or maybe not. The feminists confiscated my luggage when they kidnapped me. If they had learned of the existence of my radar, I would have compromised our entire brotherhood! Every man in the world would have been in danger because of me!

No, it's better that I didn't take it. I don't need it. I know where the feminists are. I point my revolver at a tree. Damn, they're quick! As soon as I have them in my sights, they disappear! Damn feminist technology! They must be cloaking out of sight as soon as I notice them! But then they show up again! There's always a few in my peripheral vision! They're mocking me, those damn women! They know I can see them, so they're playing fucking tricks on me! I'll show them! I start running towards the trees again. Maybe I can lose them here!

Shit, the shadows are just as quick as I am. Or maybe it's just that the entire forest is full of them! I wouldn't be surprised! They have the entire area under control! Those male soldiers guarding the borders? They're just for show! The real threat is among us, where no one but me can see it! I wish more people had glasses like mine! Then there would be a lot more sane men on this pitiful Earth!

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck, my collar started to beep! Shit, it's gonna explode! No, no, no, I'm not dying! Not like this! I turn around and start running. The beeping stops just as suddenly as it had begun. What the fuck was that?! Ah, I get it, that must be one of those forbidden zones Raiden mentioned. Of course they'd place one right in front of me! They must be trying to halt my progress! Well, joke's on them! I'm not gonna just fall down and give up! I'll find another way!

I grasp the revolver even more tightly. If they cut me off here, they're probably going to ambush me up ahead. I'm not going to give them the chance! I can see right through their stupid, little plan! Who the fuck do they think I am? I AM KENJI MOTHERFUCKING SETOU, THE LAST SANE MAN ON EARTH, A FREEDOM FIGHTER FOR ALL OPRESSED MEN AND THE BANE OF EVERY FEMINIST'S EXISTENCE!

Shit, this forest has no damn end! Maybe I should have stayed at the village. Wait, no, everyone would have expected me to stay there. So it's no good. Be unpredictable. That's my No. 1 rule when fighting against the feminist yoke. If you're unpredictable, you can't be defeated! A truly unpredictable man can be an unstoppable war machine! The woods may be endless, but at least nobody suspected I would go there. I caught the feminists off-guard. The forbidden zone placed in front of me proved it!

Wait, what the... Oh shit, there's someone coming towards me! All of the other feminists were hidden in the shadows, observing me and trying to figure out what my next move should be, but not this one! She's running right at me! Who the fuck is she?! I can't see her too well, but she looks kinda short. Even if I could see her well, it probably wouldn't matter. I don't get acquainted with feminists, so I'm sure I don't know her. Shit, why is she still running towards me?! Stop it! Halt!

She won't slow down! She's coming straight at me! Shit, what should I do? She's probably trying to stab me up close or something! That's gotta be an assassin, no one else would be running at me like that! I don't know what I'm supposed to do! I'm so fucking scared! With one quick move, I pull the revolver up and point it at her.

'STOP RIGHT THERE, FEMINIST SCUM!' I yell at the top of my lungs. The short girl finally stops in place and looks at me. I can't see her very well, but I think she's kinda startled... It's gotta be an act! I'm not going to let my guard down no matter what, especially not around her! The gun is heavy and is kinda trembling in my hands, but I don't care! I still keep it pointed straight at her!

'I'm so sorry, I didn't see you!' she cries out and raises her hands. LIES! There's no way she couldn't have seen me! It's true that this part of the forest is pretty thick, but that's no excuse! If I could see her with my terrible eyesight, then I'm sure she must have seen me too! I keep the revolver aimed straight at her without hesitation. If she moves, she dies! That will be the first time I'll take an actual feminist life, but it's a ritual that every man should perform when he comes of age!

'STOP LYING TO ME!' I yell out. 'Why did you come here?! Is it to spy on me? Are those shadows all around your friends?!'

'No, nothing like that, I swear!' she speaks out. Her voice is trembling. She sure is a first-class actress! I almost believed that she's really scared! 'I was just... There was a shooting!'

A shooting? Oh, so that's what those sounds were! Yes, now everything makes perfect sense! That feminist bitch shot someone and then came after me! I carefully look all over her body. Hmm, I just noticed that her feet look kinda weird. Wait... Those aren't feet! I dunno what they are, but they're most definitely not regular, human feet! They look like friggin crowbars or something!

'Wait...' she speaks up again. 'Y-you're Kenji, right? Hisao's flatmate?'

'Your info is good! Just what I expected from someone like you! I'm sure you must have researched everything about me before you threw me here!'

'What are you talking about?' she asks and takes a step forward. I re-aim the revolver. I have no intention of letting her anywhere close to me. If she attempts anything funny, I'm shooting her down!

'You heard me! Damn feminist, how many people must suffer so you can keep your reign?!'

'I...' she stays quiet for a second. 'You've got it all wrong! I'm just as trapped here as you are! I was on the bus too, remember? And... Look!' the girl points at her neck. 'I also have a collar! I'm not one of them, I swear!'

'LIES! You'd say anything to get close to me, just so you can stab me in the back! I've dealt with your kind before, you know!'

'Oh, God...' she looks around. 'I'm not one of them! My name is Emi Ibarazaki, from the track team! Hisao probably told you about me!'

'I've never heard of you in my life!'

Of course, that's not something unnatural. I tend to stray away from any and all feminists. I wouldn't have heard of her even if she's the most popular girl at the school. She was probably just placed there by the feminists anyway.

'I'm not going to attack you! Look, I'm not even armed! What can I do to make you believe me?!'

I look at her once more. True, she doesn't appear to be armed, but looks can be deceiving! I learned that the hard way. My wonderful Yuuko, who appeared to be a cute, clumsy angel on the outside was actually a bloodthirsty feminist demon on the inside. I'm sure that if this Ibarazaki girl wanted to hide a weapon, she'd find a good place to do so.

Shit, my hands are getting tired. The revolver weighs quite a bit, and I've been pointing it at her for a while. I can see the tip trembling in front of me. Will I even hit her if I shoot? No, I can't take any chances! I spread my legs a bit more to improve my balance and keep pointing the revolver at her.

'Listen, I'll just go, okay? I'll run as far away from here as I can. How does that sound?'

Pfft, is she serious?! Like hell am I letting her regroup with her feminist friends! That's all I need, a group of them knowing my position and coming after me! There's no way in hell I could ever allow something like that, especially not when I have her in my sights!

'That's not happening, feminist!' I speak out and readjust the revolver so that it sits a bit more comfortably in my hands.

'Well, what do you want me to do?!' she cries out. Her face is all red. There's no reason for you to cry, Ibarazaki, I'm not buying it! But still, she raises a very good question. What do I really want from her? I mean, I have a known feminist right here, defenseless and without support from her buddies, and a loaded revolver. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that I have to shoot her! So I do.

The gun jumps in my hands as the gunshot echoes through the forest. The feminist doesn't fly back like people shot with revolvers do in movies. Or, more accurately, it's not as over the top as they portray it. She just... falls down on her back. I don't see any blood, but I'm sure I hit. There's no way I could have missed from this distance, even though my hands were tired. Still, the feminists know how to deceive their enemies. Maybe she's just playing dead and will jump right back at me as soon as I turn my back on her? No, I can't risk that! I have to be sure I got her!

Slowly and carefully, I approach the body, still pointing the revolver at it. Emi Ibarazaki is lying on her back, trembling a bit. Oh, I see, so she was still alive after all... Her eyes shift to me, but she doesn't move. That's weird... What game is she playing? Is she just waiting for the right moment to strike? She opens her mouth, trying to speak out something. I can't quite hear her. No, it's not that... She just doesn't speak out any words. Instead, the girl starts coughing. The blood coming from her mouth quickly covers her entire face. But why, I thought she was-

Oh, now I see it. Of course. It takes me some time to focus on specific things, so I didn't really notice it, but it's certainly there. Right there, on the right side of her chest, is a big, bleeding hole. So, I managed to hit her after all... It doesn't look like I hit her heart, but I'm pretty sure I pierced a lung. I can't see it well enough, but I think the hole goes all the way through her. Emi Ibarazaki goes into another coughing fit, spitting blood everywhere, even on my shoes, and then closes her eyes and tilts her head to the side.

She doesn't move anymore. I... I think she's dead. That's gotta be it. With a wound like that, I don't think she'd be able to survive for long. Is it a trick? It looks so real... I kick her shoulder lightly to see if I can't make her move. She's just... lying there, like a doll, her face almost completely red from all the blood she coughed. She's really dead... And I'm the one who killed her.

I fall on my knees. The shadowy feminists finally reappear after their long absence. Are they here to take revenge on their fallen comrade? No, I don't think that's the case. They just stand there and observe me from the distance. I can only see them with the corner of my eye, and they disappear as soon as I look away. Wait, if they don't attack me, even though I just killed one of their own...

Oh my God... Emi Ibarazaki really wasn't a feminist, was she?

I drop my revolver on the ground. Wait, no... I didn't want this to happen! I just... I thought... Shit, shit, shit, shit! I didn't know! I swear, I didn't know! Damn it, why is this happening?! I didn't mean to actually kill her! Oh, God, what have I done?!

My eyes fill up with tears. I was an idiot, a fucking idiot! I let my paranoia overtake my common sense. I gave in to my fear, and as a result a completely innocent girl died because of me. I take off my glasses and wipe my face, but the tears just won't stop falling. I'm not a hero. I'm not the last sane man on Earth. I'm a fucking monster.

Finally, the shadowy feminists disappear. Maybe it's because I took off my glasses and I can't really see anything anymore, but I think it's because I finally realized that they were not real. They never were real. All along, they've been a fragment of my tormented mind. I let myself get lost in fear. And now I paid the price.

I hate myself. I despise my entire existence. I wish I had died instead of Hisao! Damn it, dude, why did you have to step in and do what you did?! If you hadn't, you would have saved two innocent lives! Shit, now that I think about it, dying there was actually the better option! At least I wouldn't have experienced any of this!

For a moment, I consider pointing the revolver to my own head and pulling the trigger. I'm a freak. I don't deserve to live. But that wouldn't be fair. Two people already died for me – Hisao saved my life, and Emi saved my sanity. Dying now would make both of their deaths worthless, and their sacrifice meaningless. No, I'm not going to die here, not like this. I'm going to end this twisted game not by playing it, but by saving everyone! I can do it! I'm sure that I'll find a flaw in the system if I think about it hard enough! I will-

The sharp, twisted blade quickly penetrates the back of my head. It doesn't really hurt, it's just kinda shocking. I can feel it inside my head, moving and messing up my brain from within. A second later, the blade is extracted, and then I feel its impact again, this time on a different part of my head. It hurts.

My body feels limp. I fall down. I can't really see who killed me, but I suppose it doesn't matter. Now that I think about it, trying to save everyone was a bad idea. Mostly because there's more than one person here who's determined to win this fucked up game.

**STUDENT #2: EMI IBARAZAKI – DEAD**

**STUDENT #5: KENJI SETOU – DEAD**

**9 REMAIN**


	5. Chapter 5

**NOTE: This chapter was written by Eos, the admin of Half-Bacon Bitches, which is where I initially used to post this fic. I suppose that, just like Ben's chapter, you can consider it filler. This is also the last one-off chapter in the fic - next week, the three-part endgame begins. Everyone who wasn't happy with the structure of the fic and wants a more consistent story should look forward to that, since the next three chapters flow directly into one another and culminate in the final fight on the island.**

So here we are, stuck on this stupid island where only one will make it away from this place, alive. A little overly dramatic if you ask me. This man, the one who calls himself Raiden, he seems like one of those pompous pricks who's all about theatrics. Killing Hisao off like that was uncalled for, but I can see why he was stupid enough to give his life away like that. I never liked the kid, but it doesn't mean I wanted to see him die. The only person I want to see right now is Molly. I miss her. She couldn't come on the trip, she got sick two days before we were to leave. I made sure to swing by her place before we left. I'm glad I did. And now there is a chance I may never see her again. I cherished her. She was the only one who ever let me show myself without having to be structured. I could let loose with her. I couldn't do that with anyone else. I only knew of one person who could, Rin Tezuka. I envied her. She was allowed to truly let her art flow. I, on the other hand, had to stick to a certain standard. My parents expected nothing but the best from me, even though they shipped me off to that hell on Earth called a school. I guess they couldn't deal with me talking to myself at times, my staying up all night. The obscure paintings I did. Or how I would sit or stand in one position with my eyes closed and my hands pressed against my ears. I just wanted to have silence, but no matter what I did, I could never acquire it.

A freak plane accident when I was 13 caused me to injure my neck. It healed up, but the healing came with a price: Tinnitus. Constantly, the inside of my head rings. From the age of 13 until now, it's been getting progressively worse. Louder and louder; day by day. I try to combat it with loud music but even that doesn't work. I took to drinking when I was 14 years old. My parents didn't give a shit about it, leaving their liquor cabinet unlocked. I even overheard them say that the alcohol helped me be more creative, which is why they never said a word about me drinking. So much for loving and supportive parents, right? I truly hate them, with every fiber of my existence. Both of my parents are also artists, well known too. I was expected to be their golden boy. I'd much rather cut off my ear and ship it to them in a box. I sighed as I checked the bag given to me by one of the soldiers. I hadn't bothered to even look and see what my weapon was. I figured I'd die anyway, so what was the point but my curiosity got the better of me. I opened the bag and discovered a bow with what looked like 10 arrows. "Bow and arrow, huh? Nice weapon choice. Not as effective as a gun but at least it's not something stupid like a grenade." I ran my fingers along the bow, admiring the simple craftsmanship of it. I sigh a little. It would be nice to create something, one last time. I take one of the arrows out of the bag and examine it, closely. There's a small logo on the tip of the arrow, a skull with crossbones. Hmm.

'Looking at your weapon?'

I turn around and am met by a beautiful sight. A pale girl with white hair, placed into a long braid. She has deep scarlet eyes, like the color of blood. Her skin was white, like fresh cotton sheets. Rika Katayama. That was her name. I remember seeing her a few times in the halls. Everybody acted as if she were the walking plague. If I had known her at school, I would have asked her to let me paint her body with color. She was the perfect canvas. Maybe I would have tried to get to know her first. She didn't seem like the type to take too well to flirting, and the last thing I wanted was to be kicked in the nuts… again. She looks at me with a deadpan expression. She isn't going to kill me, I can see it in the way she doesn't even look at me; at least not in a physical manner.

She slowly walks towards me and sits down on the ground next to me, bringing her knees up to hug them. I notice a weapon sticking out from behind her back. It looks like a katana. Wow, a very nice weapon for her to use. Being this close to her is making me a little uneasy. She can swipe it out and slash me in half before I even draw my bow.

'So, killed anyone yet?' she asks. She seems so okay with this. I don't understand it. Granted, a part of me is okay with killing off most of the student body because I can't stand them but I still have some kind of morals. She, on the other hand, doesn't seem to have them. But I cannot judge her just from speaking to her. This is the first time we've ever met, after all.

'Uh, no. I haven't killed anyone yet. But if any of them had alcohol, I'd have killed them in a heartbeat' I answer honestly. I really am in dire need of a heavy drink. All this commotion was fucking with me and I was starting to hallucinate badly because of the tinnitus. I kept hearing things, which in turn would make me see things. I stare at her for a good while, wondering what I would paint on her if I ever had the chance. Molly would kill me if she ever found out about what I was thinking, but she isn't here now, and I'm probably going to die anyway. I imagine painting a black and white dragon along her skin. It would coil around her leg and slither up her back, reaching her chest. I saw the dragon breathing fire along the other side of her body. Bright red, yellow and orange splashing onto her skin. It would be something different for me. My greatest piece. Being able to find the beauty in everything rather than showing the world the structured beauty that our society had begun to long for; that was my dream.

'What are you staring at?'

I quickly snap out of my daze. I didn't mean to stare for so long. She'll probably attempt to kill me now. I just… I want to do one last piece before I meet my demise. Maybe it will make her not even want to kill me. I damn sure don't want to kill her.

'I, uh… Say, would you mind being my muse for a piece?'

She raises her head slowly, still looking at me. A confused expression crosses her face as she lifts an eyebrow.

'Muse, huh? What's your name? You never told me'

I grab my bow and place it next to me onto the ground, along with the arrow I had been examining.

'Maeda, Takashi Maeda. And I would like to know if you would allow me to draw you here in this sand? You're a beautiful girl. You probably want to kick my ass just for saying that, but I just want to do one last piece…'

She blinks a few times before speaking.

'Sure. You can do that, draw me in the sand thing' she says and sighs heavily as she sits up into a sitting position, her chin in her hands. She continues to stare at me as I began to work.

Taking the arrow I'd been examining, I use it as a makeshift pencil and begin to draw her in the sand.

'I'm not too sure if I want to even kill anyone, here' she speaks up after a little while. 'It's not that I don't want to see these people dead. I wouldn't care if they all suddenly dropped dead. But a part of me wants to just end my own life. I may as well. I'm not depressed, I just don't see a point in my existence'

How can she say that with no emotion whatsoever? I shake my head and continue to dig the arrow into the sand, as my drawing begins to come into form. I shake my head a little as the sand begins to swirl around. Rika is becoming disfigured as another shape takes form. It's Molly, staring back at me with that beautiful smile of hers. She's beckoning for me to come to her. But how can this be? I was just drawing Rika. Hallucinations. It has to be. I close my eyes and let out a small breath before beginning to work on the task at hand once more. After a few minutes, I start hearing a small voice within my head. "Come back to me, Takashi." It's her voice. No, it's just me hallucinating. "Come back to me and do what you love. Let me be your muse. Show the world what you're capable of." Show the world what I'm capable of. I never had that chance while at Yamaku. What I showed there was nothing compared to what I really want to create. The thought of the time I had wasted there is making me angry. Angry enough to see that I'm not ready to die and that I shouldn't give up so easily. Maybe I should try to fight my way through this. I want to go back to Molly. I need to.

After what seems like forever, I finally finish my work. It's her, sitting in the same position, with her eyes looking deeply into me without really seeing me. I'm satisfied. I look up at her, waiting for a response to my work.

'That's it? You made it seem like you were going to do something extravagant. It's nice, I guess' she says and slowly stands up, then begins walking away from me and toward the forest area. I watch her as I shake my head slightly. I mutter the word "bitch" to myself as I start getting up as well, with my bow and arrow in hand. When I finally get all the way up, I find her staring at me.

'What did you just call me?'

Shit. She heard me. I know we're on the brink of death, but the bitch could have at least tried to act like she liked what I did for her.

'If you must know, I called you a bitch. And I can see why people avoid you like the plague'

I knew that by me saying this, it would most likely set her off. But that small window of time allowed me a chance to think. I could kill her right here and now. Move on to the next person until I became the only survivor. I could go back to Molly. Besides, the girl was ready to die. She said so herself. I was only going to be giving her just what she wanted.

She slightly smirks at me as I tighten my grip on the bow. There's no way she'd be fast enough to attack me, but she still reaches back towards her katana. Looks like this may be the one time being an asshole could get me into some serious shit, but I'm still ready. I draw my bow and place the arrow where it should be, aiming directly at her. She start running towards me, the katana firmly in her hand. It looks like this isn't the first time she had handled a weapon like that, or maybe it was just beginner's luck. I'm trying so hard to focus my aim but the noise inside of my head is making me lose concentration. She's getting too close. I decide to take the risk and take the shot. The arrow flies out towards her... and just barely misses her, only scratching her arm a little. Fuck. I try to reach for more arrows when I realize that I had left the others in the bag. There's no way I'm going to make it over there in time.

I'm going to die.

I'm sorry, Molly. At least she knew that I loved her. As for my parents, I'll see them in hell. As I drop the bow on the ground, the katana impales me through the chest, a little below my breast bone. The pain is radiating all over my body, but it also feels liberating. Tears begin to roll down my cheeks as I fall on my knees. The world is starting to spin around me. I fall forward, but the katana prevents me from falling completely onto the ground. My body begins to slide down as I bleed from my mouth. I turn my head up and look directly into that bitch's eyes. The world is starting to go black for me as I begin to slightly hallucinate. Suddenly, Rika pulls the katana out. It doesn't hurt all that much, but my wound starts bleeding a lot, pooling over the picture in the sand. I had made my last masterpiece. I had finally gotten a chance to show the beauty of the world using my own self. I could die with content.

I suddenly hear a loud "thud" sound nearby. It takes me a lot of effort to turn my eyes and examine its source. It 's Rika, lying on the ground, dead. Her scarlet eyes are wide open, but this time with no life in them. I smirk and let out a tiny laugh.

'Poisoned arrows, bitch'

**STUDENT #10: RIKA KATAYMA – DEAD**

**STUDENT #15: TAKASHI MAEDA – DEAD**

**7 REMAIN **


	6. Chapter 6

**NOTE: This chapter is unedited! I have been EXTREMELY busy lately, which is why I haven't been able to update this on for a while. As some of you might know, I post the "beta" versions first on Facebook, then edit them and post the nice, clean editions on . But, since I am an extremely busy college student and an indie game developer, in addition to being a writer, I haven't had time to edit chapters 6 and 7 for weeks now. So, I had two options – to either release them unedited and do it when I have the time, or keep waiting until I'm more free and edit them before posting them on . Since the KR finale happens today on Facebook, I decided to go ahead with the former. What you'll find are small grammar errors, repetitions and a pretty big mistake about Hanako and Lilly's first meeting. It's not unreadable by any means, but it's not as polished as it could be. If you want to wait, I will remove those issues withing a week or two. If you can't wait and just want to follow the story, then keep reading!**

I jump up on the futon as soon as I realize I had fallen asleep and frantically check the collar on my neck. Of course, it's still there. If it had blown up while I was sleeping, I wouldn't have been able to wake up in the first place... I close my eyes and lie back down. I can't believe how lucky I was... If the sector where the house I'm in had turned into a forbidden zone while I was sleeping, I would have died... Even worse, if someone had found me like that, I was going to be completely defenseless.

I quickly glance over at the pistol lying on the nightstand right next to me. Its presence there means that nobody had found my hiding spot. The fact that I'm alive right now is a miracle. Ever since that man told us we would be playing the game from "Battle Royale", I was so scared that I couldn't help but cry like a baby, even though everyone else was acting bravely. Then again, maybe I was the only one who truly comprehended what was going to happen...

Fourteen of us will die... I am assuming most already did, but that's not something I'd like to think about. But that's not all. If it was just our death that they wanted, they could have killed us while we were unconscious and leave it at that. But that's not all they're looking for... Raiden and his soldiers want to see us suffer. They want to witness friends betraying and hurting each other, they want to hear us scream in pain as we desperately squirm in a vain attempt to survive. And once we're all just hollow shells of our old selves, fueled by nothing other than our own survival instincts... Then we'll be given permission to die.

That thought brought me to tears. The cruelest thing you can do to a human being is to kill them emotionally before killing them physically. And I have experienced a lot of cruel and painful things. When I was just a little girl, a fire in my home took both my parents away, and left most of my body horribly scarred. I was never supposed to live through that. The only reason I survived it was because my mother sacrificed her own life to save mine. I was left all alone, without a home or a family. I had to undergo many years of painful physical therapy just to be able to live normally again. But even after that, the scars never went away, neither the physical nor the mental one.

After an experience like that, there are only two things that can happen – you can become stronger than ever, or you can just collapse under the pain and never truly recover. I... was never particularly strong. I shut myself away from the world. I went to school only because the people taking care of me demanded that. I hated it. The other children were looking at me like I was some sort of monster. At best, they avoided me and simply whispered rumors about my scars behind my back. At worst, they played cruel pranks on me and regularly humiliated me in front of everyone. There wasn't a day in which I didn't return to the orphanage in tears.

I didn't want to live. What had I done to deserve such treatment?! Wasn't losing everything enough already? All I wanted was to be treated normally. I never wanted people to be crueler or nicer to me just because my face and body are burned. I sometimes dreamed about dying and being reincarnated as a normal girl somewhere far away from here. I wished to have a family, a normal life and a lot of friends. But even though my life was so painful that it made me wish for death, I never considered suicide, not once. My mother gave her life to save mine. It would have been really selfish and disrespectful of me to throw that away. However... That wasn't the only reason.

The truth has always been that I simply don't want to die.

When I first learned what "game" we were going to be playing, I feared that I would be the first one to die. It seemed logical – aside from Lilly and Hisao, I didn't have any friends at all. I didn't really have any survival skills, either. I wasn't very athletic, and I didn't know how to use a weapon. My only advantage towards the other students was that my body, while horribly scarred by the fire, still worked. But I knew this wasn't going to help me very much. I knew deep down that I could never take a life, no matter the circumstances.

When Hisao chose to sacrifice himself in order to save his best friend, a part of me felt sad. The two of us were really close. Not as close as I am to Lilly, but still, he was the only boy that I could call a friend. But another part felt... relieved. In the book "Battle Royale", two students died before the game even began. I suspected that Raiden would attempt to replicate that as well. And... I was glad he didn't pick me. I tried to justify these emotions by telling myself that I just respected Hisao's choice. After all, it was the same choice my mother had to make so many years ago. But I knew that wasn't the case. I was simply... happy to be alive, regardless of the cost.

This thought made me feel like the worst human being in the world. A lot of questions began popping into my head. Was I truly this selfish? When the chips were down and I found myself in a "kill or be killed" situation, would I be able to take someone's life in order to save my own? What if, at the very end, only me and Lilly remain? I don't want to die at all, but I don't want to kill the only person I can call "family" either. What was I supposed to do in a situation like that? After Hisao's death, these questions overtook my mind. I didn't want to know the answers. The thought "I'm scared that I'll die" was suddenly replaced by "I'm scared that I'll live".

Shortly before Hisao died, the student council president handed Lilly a note. She asked me to read it to her, so I swallowed my tears and complied. The note said to regroup East in order to escape. That sounded like a great idea to me – instead of being on our own, I thought it would have been better if we got together and tried to make some kind of escape plan. Lilly objected to that idea. We didn't really have time to talk much, but she said it was a trap, and I had to go West instead. I didn't object. After all, Lilly was always right.

I've been her best friend for years, and she had never given me bad advice before. If there's one person in the world that I trust completely and without question, it's her. She's absolutely amazing, in every way – she's really intelligent, wise beyond her years, and stunningly beautiful. She's also polite and dignified, but can still be outgoing if she wants to. I have no idea why Lilly decided to be friends with me. I don't know what she saw in the shy, fragile bookworm that wandered in her "tea room" by accident one day while searching for the library. But I know that after years of being by her side, I can't live without her. And... I also know that a blind person like her doesn't stand much of a chance in a "game" like this.

I shake my head to chase these thoughts away. I just can't afford to lose hope just yet. After all, that's all I have left right now. I sit up on the futon and slide my feet back into my shoes, then stand up and walk over to the window to pull the curtain back just enough so I can peek outside. It's already dark... I wonder how long I've slept. It probably wasn't more than a few hours. After all, I wasn't really all that tired physically. It was mostly the tension that exhausted me. It's not uncommon for me to fall asleep when I've been really nervous for a long time. Still, I shouldn't have allowed myself to do so.

I readjust the curtain and sit back on the futon, then take the pistol lying on the nightstand in my hands. It's so heavy... No wonder my bag felt like it weighed a ton while I was running. As soon as I got out of the school, I tried to run west, as Lilly advised me, but my collar's alarm went off. Instead, I had two options – I could go north into the forest, or south into the city. The forest didn't seem like a paricularly safe place to me – there weren't many places I could hide, and there were way too many ways I could be ambushed by someone who had decided to play the game. Instead, I chose to run south and hide into one of the many houses nearby. I really wanted to go hide on the second floor somewhere, but none of them appeared to have one, so I just picked one at random and went to it. Naturally, the door was locked, but the window wasn't, so I used that to get inside. I was really, really cautious. The first thing I did was to barricade the door and close all the curtains. The windows couldn't be locked at all, so the best I could do was just cover them up and hope no one would think about entering through them. After that, I carefully checked every corner of the house to make sure no one was hiding there already. Fortunately, I was all alone.

That's when I finally let my guard down and went to the bedroom. I knew that I desperately needed a plan if I was going to survive. After all, I had no real qualities that would give me an advantage over the other students. Realistically, there isn't any chance of me winning this, so I need to escape. But... how? Nothing ever really came to mind. I didn't want to deceive or trick anyone in any way, and even if I did, I would probably fail at it. For about an hour, I simply sat down on the futon, thinking about a possible escape plan, to no avail. Suddenly, I felt really hungry, and I remembered Raiden mentioning that we had some food in the bags as well. All of my hunger disappeared when I noticed the metal weapon shining from inside.

I wonder, why was I given this? Were the weapons we were assigned random, or was there some thought put into who gets what? If that's the case, then why did they think to give me a gun? After all, I don't even know how to hold it properly, let alone how to shoot! I mean, I know I'm supposed to pull the trigger, but I've also read things about "safeties" and "modes", and I'm not quite sure how those work. Chances are, if it comes to a confrontation, the only thing I can possibly do with it is threaten someone... if the shaking of my hands doesn't give away my bluff, that is.

I sigh and place the gun back back on the nightstand. I try to distract myself by thinking about other things, but it doesn't really work. My mind is way too preoccupied with concern about Lilly. I wonder if she's hurt... Her hearing is great, so I doubt anyone would be able to catch her by surprise, but her blindness means that she wouldn't be able to do much if she's attacked. I bite my fingernail. Of course, it's very possible that someone already killed her... No, I refuse to believe that! In "Battle Royale", they announced the casualties regularly. Unless they say her name, I'm going to keep waiting for her. I'm not sure exactly how she'd be able to find me, but just waiting for her in one spot seems like a more reasonable strategy than walking off on my own to look for her.

I reach towards my bag and pick up a small, neatly packaged loaf of bread from inside, then open it and take a small bite. It's... surprisingly good. Doesn't seem to be Japanese, though. If anything, the label on the package is written in English, though I don't understand a word. Now that I think about it, Raiden's accent was really weird... I'm pretty sure he wasn't Japanese, either. From the looks of things, the people who kidnapped us are probably foreigners, and most likely terrorists. Unlike in "Battle Royale", here we actually have a chance of being rescued, if only we can notify the government about our predicament somehow...

I swallow my bite and take another one while thinking about it. I try to remember every detail of what I know about this place. I'm sure that somewhere, there's a clue that will help us escape. Raiden said that he and his group staged an accident here a week ago. That probably means no one will wander in here just to check how things are going. If we're gonna get help, we need to send a signal to the outside world somehow. It's probably safe to assume that all phone lines have been cut. My cell phone was taken away after our abduction, and Raiden mentioned that his men had confiscated all "questionable items" from the village before we went in, so it's safe to say that we won't be able to find a phone here. No, there has to be another way...

I put the bread aside and reach inside my bag again, this time taking out the map. I spread it open on the floor and start looking at it. From the looks of things, it's actually quite useless... It only shows landmarks for about half of the island. I assume the other half is just one huge forbidden zone. And those landmarks aren't particularly detailed. In fact, there are only four - "Village", which is in the west part of our half of the island, "School", a dot right in the middle of the village, a "Forest" to the north and "Coast" to the east. That's all there is. The map is divided into squares, which I assume are the zones. I notice that none of them are marked in any way, which probably means that we won't get to learn which zones are forbidden until we step into them. I suppose they're doing this to increase the tension in us. After all, the knowledge that literally any "safe" zone could turn into a forbidden one at any moment would put most of us on edge.

I lean back and pick up my bread again. Much like sleeping, eating helps me calm down. I just try not to think too much about the atrocities that are most likely happening all over the island right now. Instead, I simply focus on trying to come up with a good escape plan for me and Lilly. I turn around and look through the bag again. I'm kinda hoping to find a pencil or something in order to take notes on the map, but no such luck. I don't think they went so far as to remove the pens from the houses as well, so I might be able to find one if I look for it. I pick up the gun, just in case, and stand up before heading towards the door and opening it quietly.

The house isn't very big. It just has a couple of rooms and a hallway that connects them. I go outside and look around. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. The place is quiet like usual, though it is a bit colder than it was the last time I was out in the hallway. That's probably just me, though. I take a few more steps and prepare to open the door to the living room when I suddenly feel a breeze. I turn around and examine its source. It's... an opened window. That's weird, I thought that I closed the window I came through after I-

Oh, no...

'Drop it' I suddenly hear a female voice I don't recognize, followed by a weird, mechanical click coming from behind me. My body starts shivering. So, someone was able to get in after all... I'm not completely sure, but I think that click came from a gun... Oh, god... I never even heard her coming in or sneaking up behind me! If she's that good, she's most likely playing the game... My eyes start to fill up with tears when I realize I'm probably going to die.

'P-please...' I stutter. My intention was to negotiate with her and assure her I mean no harm, but my body's completely paralyzed, and that's as much as I can say before I'm rendered speechless from the fear.

'I said DROP IT!' the girl raises her voice. What is she talking about? Does she mean the gun in my hand? But if I just drop it like that, won't it go off? That's what always happens in books when someone drops a gun on the floor. But if I don't drop the gun, she's going to shoot me... I'm scared out of my mind. I don't really know what to do. If I just run for it, there's a chance that I can make it to the window before she can shoot... No, that's not going to work, she already has her gun aimed at me... I won't be able to make a single step before she kills me... I close my eyes and reluctantly let the pistol slip out of my hands and fall on the floor by my feet, which makes a loud *THUD*, but, surprisingly, doesn't cause a gunshot.

'Now kick it back!' the girl instructs me. I comply. She takes a few steps back.

'Okay, you can turn around now'

I slowly shift my legs and turn around, facing the intruder. I don't really recognize her, but the collar around her neck means she's certainly a "player". Her extremely long, brown hair has been left to flow down freely, which doesn't seem very convenient to me, especially in a situation like this, but it seems like she's used to having it like that. Her white shirt is covered with stains of red, as if someone had sprayed her with graffiti paint. But... The pickaxe hanging on her skirt waistband and the gun in her hand make me think that the stains aren't from paint. I suddenly notice that she only has one hand. Her left arm just ends in a bandaged stump. From the look in her eyes, I'd say she suddenly noticed my scarring as well.

'You must be Ikezawa?' she asks me. I nod carefully, still wondering if I'm going to be shot or not.

'Y-yeah... How d-did you know?'

'Hisao talks a lot about you! Well... Used to, anyway...' she smiles sadly. 'You don't seem like the type of girl to be playing this fucked-up game'

'I'm n-not playing!' I try to assure her, but I'm not sure how convincing I sound. 'I j-just want to go home...'

She thinks for a moment, probably wondering if she should believe me or not. I know I'm not particularly convincing, but at least I was honest, and I think she saw that. She's smiling.

'So do I. The name's Miki, by the way. I'd shake your hand, but... You know'

I stare at her for a few seconds. Was this... a joke? I can't quite tell, but if it was... Why is she even joking around at a time like this? Maybe she thinks she's lightening the mood, but for some reason I feel even more awkward and nervous when she's doing that...

'Um... I'm H-Hanako...' I introduce myself and instinctively place my right hand over the scars of my face. Miki smiles and hands me the pistol back.

'I don't think you'd shoot me in the back, so... Here. You know how to use it, right?'

I carefully pick it back up and examine it with my eyes. Now that I compare it side by side with hers, they look really different. Does she know how to shoot using the model I have as well?'

'Um... N-not really...' I admit.

'Wow, seriously?' Miki giggles. 'You're exactly how Hisao described you!'

I blush and look down. I'm not quite sure what she meant by that, but I don't think I like it very much... I notice her putting her gun behind the waistband of her skirt. She approaches me and places her hand on mine, then helps me lift my pistol up until it's lined up with my eyes. It's really heavy... I don't think I would have been able to hold it up steadily without her help. Miki's a lot stronger than she looks.

'I'm not sure about the specifics, but your pistol is a Desert Eagle. Which means the only thing you need to do is to take the safety off like that...'

She uses her thumb to push down the small hammer at the end of the gun. It didn't seem very easy to do. I'm not quite sure if I'll be able to do it on my own.

'...And then just aim and shoot! The Deagle is really accurate and powerful, but it kicks like a mule, so make sure you hold it really tightly when you shoot, or else you might hurt yourself!'

I nod silently. I consider firing a shot just to see exactly what it feels like, but that would probably be a bad idea. Even though it would be good practice for me if I ever need to use the pistol, which I hope from the bottom of my heart won't happen, it will certainly give away our position to any "players" nearby.

'Y-you sure know a lot about g-guns...' I comment. Miki smiles from ear to ear.

'It's just a hobby of mine! I really love watching American movies and reading stuff about the weapons they use... but that's about it. I may know a lot about guns, but I've never actually fired one... I don't think I really want to, either. But I'll probably have to'

'W-why do you say that?'

She looks at me, with a serious look in her eyes.

'Because there are people playing this fucked-up game. And even if we come up with an escape plan, they're not gonna let us leave until we deal with them'

'Eh? B-but... Why?' I ask. It doesn't make any sense to me – if we find a safe way to escape from the island and return home, why would they still attack us? I wouldn't risk compromising our plan by walking around the island and gathering everyone, but if we meet someone on our way out they would be more than welcome to come with us!

'Because...' Miki sighs and leans against the wall. 'The people playing the game are too far gone. I've... seen what they do. Ibarazaki from the track team was shot and killed right in front of my eyes, without any provocation on her part...'

'Ah...' I gasp and look down. I didn't know Ibarazaki very well, but I knew she was a good friend of Hisao... Every time I saw her at school, she was always smiling cheerfully... It saddens me to hear that she's gone. 'D-do you know who else was...'

'I only saw her' she shrugs. 'Though I did hear gunshots at the east coast a little after the game started. I assume that at least one person kicked the bucket there. And there's probably someone else with a gun playing the game. We should watch out for that'

My heart skips a beat as soon as she mentions the east coast. That's where Miss President wanted Lilly and me to go! So... Was it really a trap, after all? If so, is she the one who fired the shots that Miki heard? Or was she just a victim of someone who took advantage of her escape plan? I guess there's just no way to know right now. In any case, words can not describe how grateful I am that we didn't go east after all. If we had, both me and Lilly would have probably been dead...

'W-we have to get out of here...' I mumble quietly, mostly to myself.

'No objections here! Let's go somewhere safer and try to come up with a plan!'

'Um... W-we can go to the bedroom over t-there...' I point at the bedroom door. Miki nods and quickly starts walking towards the room. I follow her closely and enter, then sit down on the ground and point at the map I have already spread.

'You haven't marked it off?' she asks. I shake my head.

'I d-didn't go outside, s-so I don't know where the f-forbidden zones are...'

Miki reaches inside her skirt pocket and pulls out a pen. I suddenly notice that she's lacking her bag. I'm guessing she probably left it behind since it was too heavy. Carrying a pistol, a pickaxe and a bag was probably way too much, even for someone as athletic as her. Actually... How come she she has two weapons? I'm curious if she picked it up along the way, but I'm afraid that the answer might be related to the blood stains on her shirt...

'D-do you, um...' I ask as I pick up the loaf of bread lying on the futon and carefully hand it over to her. She shakes her head.

'I'm not really hungry... I already ate some before ditching my bag, but ever since I came here, I've lacked my appetite...'

I shrug and pull it back, then take another bite. I admit, I eat more because I'm nervous than because I'm actually hungry.

'Okay, look here' Miki tells me and taps on the map with her pen, then draws a few big X's on it, mainly on the part that says "Forest". 'Everything to the north is just one huge forbidden zone now. That includes the forest, the school and some of the buildings in the village, as well as a part of the coast. From what I can see, they're trying to push us south'

I take a long look at the map. According to Miki, almost half of it was covered by forbidden zones. In the village, there are only three zones that are still safe... And, to be honest, I don't think they'll remain so for long.

'We n-need to go...' I stutter as I realize the zone we're in now will probably be the next one to become dangerous. She nods.

'But then what? If the collars start beeping, we can just run south and hope for the best, but it would be stupid to just run blindly without a plan, unless doing so is absolutely necessary. There's got to be a way to get off the island. Any ideas how we can do that?'

'A... signal' I say carefully, sharing the conclusion I had reached by myself earlier. 'I t-think they're foreigners... And...'

'Foreigners? You mean the terrorists?'

I nod.

'Yeah, I guess that makes sense... There's no way that Raiden guy was Japanese. And the weapons we have, your Deagle and my Colt... They're both American weapons. It's a pretty safe bet that we've been taken by foreign terrorists'

'Y-yeah... So if we can send a s-signal...'

'Oh, I see what you mean! If we can notify the folks back home that something's not right here, they might be able to send help! But that's easier said than done, you know! I'm pretty sure they've thought of that! Phone lines have been cut, and all cell phones were confiscated. So, what else can we do?'

I stare at the map intensely, trying to come up with a solution, but nothing comes to mind. Maybe a signal flare might work, or some sort of firework... No, chances are we won't find anything like that around, and even if we do, their light is only momentary. We need something more permanent, something that will send light that's constantly visible to anyone around the island.

Wait... Light... Island... Of course! Why didn't I come up with this sooner?! I can't help but give a little smile once I come up with this plan.

'A lighthouse...' I say, with a bit of satisfaction in my voice.

'A... lighthouse?' Miki repeats after me. I nod.

It makes perfect sense. Since we're on an island, chances are there's going to be a lighthouse. Of course, it could be in one of the forbidden zones, or on the other side of the island, but if we're very lucky, we might be able to get to it and send a signal!

'Now that you mention it, I think I saw something like that to the southeast'

'Y-you did?!' I ask happily.

'Don't get your hopes up. Most modern lighthouses run on electricity, and I'm pretty sure that's been cut as well'

I shake my head.

'A lot of l-lighthouses have an... emergency system' I explain. 'In case a d-disaster cuts the power...'

'Seriously? Are you sure?'

I look down back at the map. Of course I'm not sure, this is just some stuff that I read in a book. I'm not sure if that's how real lighthouses work at all, but it's really our only option to send a signal. Once the people in the mainland see the light of a lighthouse from an area that was supposed to be evacuated a week ago, there's no way they won't send a ship to investigate!

'Well, it's not like we have a better plan!' Miki grins. 'We'll give it a shot, and if it fails, we'll try to come up with something else.

I smile happily.

'Y-yeah!'

'Okay, let's see...' she picks up her pen and starts drawing a route on the map. 'Moving through the village would be dangerous. I'm not sure how many "players" are left, but chances are most of them are here. We need to get out as soon as we can, and then we can move across the south shore until we...'

Miki suddenly stops talking and starts looking around. I tilt my head to the side in confusion.

'W-what's—'

'Shh!' she quickly cuts me off and pulls her revolver out. 'We're not alone'

'Eh?!' I asked, a bit startled by this revelation. Does she mean there's actually someone else in the house?! Oh, crap, we forgot to close the window and pull the curtains after she entered! I start shaking and look at my pistol lying on the nightstand. Does that mean... there's going to be a fight? I don't want to shoot anyone!

'Stay here' Miki says and stands up, then slips her shoes off. I'm assuming it's to move more quietly, since stepping with shoes on the wooden floor would give away her position instantly. I had never even thought about that when I first came into the house... She's truly amazing! My new friend quickly moves across the room without making a single sound, then uses the hand holding the pistol to silently pull the door open.

I sit on the futon nervously, wondering what I'm supposed to do... Should I take my shoes off as well, and then grab my gun and follow her suit? Or am I just going to be in her way? Ultimately, I simply look down and decide to stay where I am. Miki knows what she's doing. I don't. I'm only going to be an inconvenience. And besides... I'm really, really scared... I hope she doesn't get mad at me for that...

She glances over at me to see if I'm coming with her, then turns around and silently walks through the door. Was she expecting me to follow her? Or was she just making sure that I didn't? In any case, it's too late for me to do anything right now. I just sit on the futon awkwardly, trembling a bit. I don't think Miki would allow herself to be caught by surprise and killed by the intruder... But if she does, then I'll have to defend against them on my own... and if they managed to kill someone like her, then I would stand no chance at all.

'Don't move a muscle! Drop the bags! Both of you! NOW!' I hear Miki yelling out orders from the hallway. Both... of you? Does that mean there were two intruders? I hear two big thumps, which I'm guessing were caused by the bags hitting the floor. That's good, I think. It means Miki has control over the situation.

'Where are your weapons?' she asks them.

'Um, do we look like we're armed?' I hear a female voice that I don't recognize.

'There's no way the two of you survived without weapons for so long! I can see something sticking out from the pocket of your skirt! Drop it!'

'If I do that, it's going to break'

'Then place it on the ground slowly! You too, blondie! Drop the cane!'

My heart skips a beat. Blondie? Cane? No way! Could it be... I know I need to stay put and wait for Miki to be done with them, but the thought that Lilly might actually be here won't leave my head. I stand up and slowly walk towards the open door, then peek out from inside the room. My friend is holding two other girls at gunpoint. One of them has short hair and a really tired look in her eyes. And the other is...

'LILLY!' I yell out, with tears in my eyes, then start running towards her and jump in her arms. I can't believe this! She actually found me! I wrap my arms around her tightly and start crying from happiness. She hugs me back.

'Are you alright, Hanako?' Lilly asks, sounding really concerned about me.

'Y-yeah...' I admit, still reluctant to let go just yet. The two of us were separated for only a day, but it really felt like an eternity to me! Now that we're finally together again, the only thing I want to do is enjoy this small moment of safety and comfort. Lilly raises her hand and pats the back of my head gently.

'Everything's fine now. We won't be separated again. I promise' she whispers with a smile. I smile back and nod to her. I know that everything's going to be fine now. My fear has faded away. I'm reunited with Lilly, and we have a plan to escape the island. I know that everything's going to be fine now.

After a few seconds, I finally let go and turn around, still standing closely by my best friend's side. Miki has lowered her gun and is examining a small, electronic device that kind of looks like a GPS.

'So this is how you found us, Suzu?' she asks. The short-haired girl nods.

'That's Lilly's... "weapon". It shows the location of everyone wearing a collar, as well as when we're approaching a danger zone. It's the only reason we've managed to stay alive for so long'

'Impressive...' Miki comments. 'But how did you know it was us? It could have been anybody!'

'We didn't' Lilly speaks up. 'There were two houses here that each contained two students. We simply picked one at random'

'S-so there are other people here?' I ask. 'M-maybe we should-'

'I don't think that's a good idea' Miki interrupts me. 'Listen, four of us are too many as it is. Escape will become completely impossible if there's six'

'Eh? B-but...'

She smiles reassuringly and gives the device back to Suzu, then places her hand on my shoulder.

'Don't worry. It's not like we're abandoning them or anything. When we signal the mainland, they're going to be rescued as well. But for now, we need to leave them alone'

'B-but... With more people...'

'I am afraid Ms. Miura is right, Hanako' Lilly intervenes. 'I trust everyone here, but we don't know who these people are. What if they attack us while our back is turn?'

I want to object, but I simply can't. Like always, Lilly is absolutely right. The chance of being betrayed increases along with the size of our group. As much as I don't like to think that anyone from my school would scoop as low as to shoot everyone in the back... This "game" brings out the worst in people.

'Okay...'

'Well, then, now that that's settled, let's get over the plan with you, guys!' Miki grins happily.

'We... have a plan?' Suzu asks.

'Ikezawa just came up with it. It's not perfect, but I sure can't come up with anything better!'

I blush and turn my face away. I don't think it's fair that I receive all the credit. After all, I would have never come up with the lighthouse idea if it wasn't for Miki. Still, I don't feel comfortable making any objections, and besides, it doesn't really matter.

'Excellent work, Hanako' Lilly smiles. 'The only plan me and Ms. Suzuki had was to find you and come up with a proper escape strategy afterwards, so we would be happy to follow your idea. Isn't that right?'

'Hm? Oh... Sure...' Suzu nods.

'You two make an odd couple!' Miki giggles. 'I'd never imagine you to become partners like that! How did that happen?'

'Admittedly, we didn't really plan it out. A few hours ago, she found me wandering around helplessly, and offered to help me. I accepted her generous offer'

'It wasn't all that generous...' Suzu shrugs. 'She needed someone to read that device she got. I needed someone to keep me awake. It was a... What was that word again... Symbiotic relat-'

Suddenly, a series of loud noises coming from outside the window cause my ears to ring. Sounds like firecrackers are being fired outside! It takes me a little while to realize that it's not firecrackers at all. It's bullets.

Someone's firing at us from outside.

My body starts trembling rapidly. I want to move, to run away, but I find myself glued to the floor. Suzu's head explodes in front of me. A fountain of blood splashes from her eye and onto my face and clothes, then her body goes limp and falls down like a ragdoll. My throat feels so tense, it's like someone's choking me. I can't yell. I can't scream. I can't look away. All I can do is stare at her body as dark, red liquid begins pooling around her.

It takes me a lot of effort to turn away, but I finally find myself able to do it. I want to look towards Lilly and see if she's hurt, but my body won't listen. My head slowly twists towards the window, purely out of instinct. Outside, a young, blond boy is holding a smoking pistol. No... It's not a pistol... It looks like one, but it's also kind of different... I can't quite tell how. It takes me a while to recognize the boy, but there's no way I could ever mistake his identity – it's Leo Harway, the transfer student that everyone has been talking about.

He stays still, without moving a muscle. His eyes, cold and expressionless, are focused straight ahead. Leo... just killed Suzu, didn't he? I don't understand... Why did he do it? Is he one of the people Miki was talking about? The ones who lost their minds because of the game? No, I don't think so. His face is as calm as always. I think that he's perfectly aware of his actions. But then... Why would he do it? Is it possible that there really is someone who can kill his friends and classmates without any remorse whatsoever? No, there can't be a human being this twisted. I refuse to believe it. And yet... the cold, calculated calmness in his eyes won't leave my mind...

Something slowly falls out of his gun. It's dropping gradually towards the ground, like a film in slow motion. I'm not quite sure what it is, but he has stopped shooting for a moment, so it's probably the gun's magazine or something. He slowly reaches inside his pocket and pulls out a new one, then brings it up and loads it into the gun. I know I should get away from him before he starts shooting, but... I can't do that. I can only stare at him as he's preparing to kill me. I feel like his eyes have hypnotized me.

'HANAKO, RUN!' Miki's loud noise finally snaps me out of it. She fires two rounds towards Leo, and even though she misses both times, it's enough to make him dodge out of the way and take cover. I turn around and quickly look at my friends. Lilly has fallen on the ground. She must be terrified and confused, but is doing her best not to show it. Even in a situation like this, she's still trying to remain composed and dignified. She seems pretty shaken up, but other than that, I don't think she's hurt.

On the other hand, Miki is a bleeding mess. Her face is covered with the red liquid, and there's a large, crimson spot on her right shoulder. The revolver is literally shaking in her hand. It must be really painful to lift such a heavy gun with a bleeding wound on your shoulder... After she notices that Leo has taken cover, she turns to me, her right eye closed and covered in blood, and points at Lilly.

'Help her out and run! NOW!'

I run towards my friend and help her stand up, then let her place her arm across my shoulders so I can guide her properly. I know that Miki's escape plan meant that we would need to abandon all our supplies here, but it couldn't be helped. If we remain here for just another minute, Leo is definitely going to kill us.

Miki shoots a few more rounds back at the window, but they act as nothing more than warning shots. Still, they do the trick, and we manage to get away without being followed. Miki clears the barricade I placed at the door earlier and literally bursts through it. I follow her, trying to keep a decent pace, but it's so hard to do when I'm carrying Lilly with my left hand and the heavy pistol with my right one. If only I was a little bit stronger physically... I suppose it doesn't really matter now, anyway...

The sky is darker than black. The few stars in the sky are the only thing that illuminates our path as we escape the village. We need to get south, but none of us have any idea where south is, so we simply follow Miki's gut. After about ten minutes of walking, she finally falls down on the ground, exhausted. I allow Lilly to sit down as well and turn around. There isn't even a sign of Leo anywhere in the distance. I sigh with relief and join my friends.

'H-how bad is it?' I ask Miki. She looks at her wound, then sighs.

'It's not life threatening, but... It's still pretty bad. I can't see anything with my right eye, and I can barely move my arm... At least the bullet went straight through, and it doesn't seem to be bleeding much'

'Are you going to be alright?' Lilly asks, with a concerned look on her face.

'Yeah, don't worry about me... It's not like we have any healing supplies, so I'll just have to bear with it...' Miki makes an attempt to smile, but it's obvious she's in a lot of pain right now.

'So... W-what now?'

Miki closes her eyes and sighs.

'We... lost the tracker, didn't we?'

'No, we did not' Lilly smiles faintly and reaches inside the pocket of her skirt, then pulls the GPS-like device out. The screen is a little cracked, but other than that, it seems to work just fine. I smile widely upon seeing it.

'Alright! At least something good came out of this whole mess...' Miki smiles as well. 'Give it to Hanako. From now, you'll be responsible for keeping a very close eye on it, alright? Another surprise like that is going to destroy us for sure. We can't afford to be careless anymore!'

I simply nod and take the tracker from my best friend's hands.

'Now, if you don't mind, I would like to know the details about your escape plan' Lilly smiles and sits down properly, ready to listen.

**STUDENT #14: SUZU SUZUKI – DEAD**

**6 REMAIN**


	7. Chapter 7-1

Miki Miura shoots two rounds straight at me. Both miss – understandable considering the wound I inflicted upon her earlier. My bullet most definitely passed through her right scapula, and might have also damaged the clavicula. Regardless, it would render her right arm useless, as far as I am concerned. A revolver requires a lot of strength to be fired properly. By crippling Miura's scapula, I have made her unable to shoot, thus effectively eliminating her from the game. Lilly Satou and Hanako Ikezawa won't pose a threat either – Satou is unable to use any sort of firearm due to her blindness, and Ikezawa's ability to fire the pistol that had been assigned to her is arguable at best. Her psychological profile indicates severe psychological damage. Eliminating one of her companions in front of her should be enough to completely break her. One of the bullets I fired a few seconds ago passed directly through Suzu Suzuki's eye, killing her instantly. Luckily, this happened right in front of Ikezawa.

I quickly take cover and use the opportunity to reload my MAC-10 using a magazine from my pocket. Even though Miura's accuracy is now below average, it would still be wise to take cover, especially considering the lack of ammunition in my submachine gun. There is no reason for me to stand out in the open while reloading. Changing the magazine and loading the first bullet into the chamber takes no longer than four seconds. After that is done, I peek from my cover to examine the situation inside the house. As expected, Suzuki lies dead on the floor, and the three survivors have escaped. There is no cause for concern. Judging from the position of the house and their current emotional condition, I can guess what path they would take to escape the village.

I pick up the empty magazine from the ground and put it in my pocket, then glance over at my bag. It is too heavy to bring along right now, so I have no choice but to leave it there, despite the risk of losing it. I have another full magazine in my pocket, and even if I lose access to all of my boxes of ammo in the bag, I should still have plenty of bullets to win the game. And if I don't, my army knife is tied firmly to my belt. If it comes to it, I can use it to finish off any remaining survivors.

I briefly glance ahead to determine what path I should take in order to cut my targets off, then begin running forward. The route I'm taking is slightly longer than the one they're on, but if I'm fast enough, I should be able to catch them just before they exit the village. This will most likely catch them by surprise. I will use the opportunity to shoot them down, wasting one of the magazines, but also taking down three more contestants – an acceptable trade considering the amount of students left on the island.

With the MAC-10 firmly in my right hand, I take a sharp left turn and start running among the small houses. This architecture is unusual, even for Japan. I am not used to navigating in this environment, but managed to adapt quickly. I have always adapted. This is what my family has taught me, after all. I do not remember much about my father, but I can clearly recall him saying that "Survival means adaptation". He was talking about business, of course. That is what my family always spoke about. I do not blame them. The Harway Corporation is one of the largest companies in the world, and they are in charge of it. That would make me its only heir.

I have been prepared to bear this tremendous responsibility all my life. I was homeschooled for as long as I can remember. By the age of ten, I had already started learning Calculus. At thirteen, I was earning my own allowance on the stock market. And at fifteen, I mastered my seventh language. The maids working at my family's manor called me a "genius", but that is not accurate. Technically speaking, my IQ is below the level necessary to be a genius. I have surpassed my peers simply through a lot of hard work. I was learning something every single waking moment. It didn't matter what – physics, mathematics, history, biology, or a physical activity like marksmanship or martial arts. For as far as I can remember, there has not been a single moment in which I wasn't improving myself in some way.

I was kept isolated. The only people I have ever interacted with are my father, my uncle, the maids and my tutors. Sometimes, I have faint memories of people I do not recognize. I dream of faces that I have never seen before. But I know that they are simply illusions, shadows of a past life I may or may not have had. When I was little, I wished I could go back to that life. There, I felt a strange, indescribable warmth, unlike anything I had felt since. I felt love, affection and care. But it did not take long for me to forget what love actually feels like.

My father passed away when I was eight, from terminal stomach cancer. My uncle then became my guardian and began living at the manor. He's in charge of the Harway Corporation until I am old enough to take over. I was told my mother killed herself when I was three years old. I have never seen even a picture of her, so I do not know if her face is one of those I used to see when I closed my eyes. My father and uncle have never spoken about her, and I have never asked.

I wonder... Was this whole game organized to lead to my death? I would not place it above my uncle to try and kill me, thus seizing permanent control over the Harway Corporation. I thought it was a bit weird that, after eighteen years of isolation, he told me that I needed to start attending a normal school in order to acquire real-life communication skills. I never believed that was the real reason he wanted to send me away, though I did not suspect he would try to kill me either. After all, why would he wait so long to do it? And besides, me dying literally right before heading the company would have just seemed way too suspicious. If I were my uncle, I would have performed the assassination when the target was 13 or 14. The timing of their death would have seemed the least suspicious then.

There is another thing that makes me question his motive – if my uncle really wanted to kill me, why would he go to such lengths? He could have gassed the bus with nerve gas and thrown it overboard. No one would have found our bodies. When I first saw my classmates collapse all around me, this exact scenario came to mind. After all, this is what I would have done if I needed to take out a high-profile target that knows how to defend himself against assassins. The rest of the students would have been unfortunate collateral damage.

But someone actually went through the trouble of organizing a game like this, and from the looks of it, it seems unlikely that they were aiming for my death. If anything, I have the highest chance of survival among all of the students on the island. No, there is something else, going on, but what? Who might be behind it all? Whoever they are, they have a lot of spare resources. Securing the island, hiring soldiers that would shoot at defenseless students, procuring weapons and equipment for everyone, researching and developing the collars... There's also undoubtedly a hired staff that takes care of everything going on behind the scenes. All of that would amount to billions, if not trillions of yen. Then again... maybe I shouldn't be calculating in yen. The MAC-10 in my hand is American-made. Just like the Colt that Miura was using. In all probability, the culprit is American, very rich and very well connected. That describes the Harway Corporation quite well. But why? Why would my uncle do something like that?

Just as I'm wondering this, I suddenly feel sharp pain in my back. Incidentally, I was just about to catch up to the three runaways. I stop dead in my tracks and slowly move my hand and reach behind my back, pulling out the object sticking out and bringing it to my eyes. It's... a dart, like those used to sedate animals. But if I had to guess, I'd say that the tiny capsule within the dart is filled with some kind of poison, and not sedative. So, I have been poisoned... I wonder how long I have to live before that does me in. It does not matter right now. I pull my MAC-10 up and look behind me, searching for the source of the dart. At first, I don't see anything, but it doesn't take me long to track down the flash of a scope from a nearby roof.

It would be impossible for me to hit the sniper with my submachine gun. My best bet is to simply run. I know that, and I try to continue chasing after the three students, but my body won't listen. Instead of moving forward, it just stumbles around slowly before giving out under my weight and falling forward, completely paralyzed. Hmm, interesting... I did not know a quick-acting poison like that even existed. It looks like I don't have long to live at all. I'm not angry. I don't really feel anything, except maybe curiosity. I wonder who shot me... Was it Kenji Setou? Or perhaps Rika Katayama? Both of them would fit the psychological profile of a good sniper. But whoever they are, their skill wasn't the only factor of my defeat. I was careless. I rushed in without examining my surroundings properly.

In any case, it matters little now. I do not know if this was all an overly elaborate plan to have me killed, but if that's the case, then it has achieved its purpose. My body feels weird. Like the tingling sensation all over before I go to sleep. Is that what death feels like? It's a lot less painful than I imagined. It's a shame, really. I was hoping that I would finally be able to feel something, even if it was unbearable pain. The darkness consumes me. I can't see or hear anything. Well... I suppose there are some benefits to dying in peace as well.

**STUDENT #6: LEO HARWAY – DEAD**

**5 REMAIN**


	8. Chapter 7-2

'Leo? Hey, Leo!'

The female voice sounds clearly in my head. A young girl, with long, blond hair and blue eyes is looking down at me, with a kind smile on her face. I smile back. She's so beautiful... I do not know who she is, but for some reason I feel... odd in her presence. A strange emotion is building up inside my chest. It's... not an unpleasant feeling. The girl pats my head. I like that. I don't want her to stop.

I don't want her to go because I know she's never coming back.

'Leo! Can you hear me? Come on, Leo, you have to wake up! LEO!'

My body spasms as I open my eyes and take a deep breath. This is one of the few moments in my life in which I am absolutely confused and completely disoriented. I have no idea where I am or why I am there. I just know that, somehow, I am alive. I can feel the emptiness of life making its way back into my body. The dream that I was having up until now quickly fades from my memory, never to return again.

'LEO! Oh, thank God you're not dead!' the girl next to me yells happily and quickly leans forward, wrapping her arms around me. I do not think I like this sensation very much. Then again, my body feels incredibly stiff and heavy, most likely as an after effect of the sedative, so I can not really sense much anyway. Ah, yes, sedative... So the dart I was shot with didn't contain poison after all. I suppose I was lucky. Still, I am in no condition to do anything right now. My body refuses to move, and it will probably remain nearly paralyzed for at least another hour.

The girl finally lets go of me and leans back. I recognize her big, brown eyes immediately – Saki Enomoto, from my class. She puts on her always-genuine smile and looks at me.

'I thought for sure you were going to die! We didn't know what was in those darts, and even though I told Akio not to use them, he still, um... Y-you know!' she giggles nervously and brushes her hair behind her ear. Hmm, so Akio Hayashi was the one who shot me... That is... very interesting.

Since I wasn't killed in my sleep, I can safely say that Miura's group is not here, which means I will only be able to eliminate two contestants instead of the three I wanted. Well, I suppose beggars can not be choosers. If I was more careful, I would not have ended up here in the first place.

'Uh...' is the only sound my mouth makes when I try to talk. My jaw feels stiff and cold, like it had just been anesthetized by a dentist. This is far from normal... I should have snapped out of it already. I am guessing I was hit with an overdose of anesthetic after all.

'Don't try to talk' she says, looking obviously worried. 'I don't know how strong the stuff he hit you with really is. It... might take a while for you to recover'

I must admit, her ability to state the obvious is astonishing as always. Still, I can tell that she means well. That, as well as her badly hidden crush on me, make her easy to manipulate. For some inexplicable reason, she has been attracted to me ever since I transferred. I have never shown any signs of interest towards her, yet she never appeared to take the hint.

My vision finally clears up, even though my body still feels stiff, slow and numb. I attempt to rub my eyes with my hand, and quickly realize that I can't do that. Both of my hands are handcuffed to a pole in the ground.

'Oh, um... S-sorry about that...' her face turns red.

It is obvious that it wasn't her idea in the first place. Hayashi most likely requested that I be restrained before regaining consciousness.

'I didn't want to, really! Akio said he didn't trust you, and that he'd kill you if you weren't tied up!'

'I see' I force a smile. Well, "force" isn't exactly the right word. Faking a smile has become so natural to me that it takes practically no effort to place one on my face. There is no other way, I will have to manipulate Saki and have her remove the cuffs. Even though I know how to remove them myself, I lack the proper instruments to do so right now. And even if I did manage to break free, my weapons are gone. I quickly scan the room with my eyes in an attempt to find them, but they're not there. For all I know, Hayashi might be keeping them close to him. I will not stand a chance against him unless I retrieve them first.

'B-but don't worry!' she smiles gently. 'Even though you can't go anywhere, I'll be right here with you so that you don't feel lonely, okay?'

I wonder how long my "arrest" will continue. I am not sure for how long I was out cold, but in any case, there are no more than a few hours left until the end of the game. If a winner has not been selected by then, all of the contestants will die, and perishing in this fashion would be most... anticlimactic, especially after all my efforts to win. Which means that, if I want to have any chance of success, I will need to escape within the hour, no matter how recovered from the sedative I am. But how do I go about it? I suppose I can tell Saki that I love her and try to convince her to choose between me and Akio. If I play my cards rights, I will be able to manipulate her into releasing me.

The second method that comes to mind is to try and free myself from the cuffs using an object nearby. Anything will do, as long as it's thin enough – a hairpin, a needle, a paper clip... Even a toothpick has a chance of working, as long as I don't break it while working. After I'm free, I should be able to kill Saki and get my weapons back. This sounds like a good plan, except for the obvious flaw – chances are, I won't be able to find anything I can pick the lock of my cuffs with. But it's still worth a try, and for that purpose, I need to get her out of the room.

'I appreciate the thought, Saki' I force another smile. 'But maybe you should let Akio know that I am awake?'

'Huh? Ah, right, of course! I almost forgot!' she smiles cheerfully and stands up. 'I'll be back in a bit, okay?'

I nod, then watch her as she walks over to the door and leaves. Now is my chance. I don't have more than 10, maybe 15 seconds to procure a lockpick. I lean against the metal pole I am attached to and forcibly push myself on my feet. My head is spinning and I can barely move... I can't see anything resembling a long, thin object around. In fact, there don't appear to be many things around at all. If I could guess, I would say I was locked in a basement... A very clean and well-kept basement.

I shake my head and squint my eyes. I try to focus, but it simply isn't working. And even if I could adjust my vision, I would still probably fail to find something useful, as the only thing that surrounds me is concrete. Hmm, there are some boxes in the distance. I wonder if I'll be able to stretch out and reach them. There could be something I could use inside. I sit back down on the floor and outstretch my leg. Gh... Not even close. I push myself forward a bit, but my dizziness is playing tricks on me, and I fail to properly determine the distance between me and the boxes. Okay, I think I almost got it... Just a bit more...

*BOOM*

I jump. That was most definitely an explosion from upstairs, and a big one at that. If I had to guess, I would say we are under attack by another group... Or maybe just one other individual armed with grenades. If I fail to liberate myself, I will die, and that would be most unfortunate considering my circumstances. I lie back down on the ground and attempt to reach one of the boxes with my foot. With quite a bit of effort, my toes manage to touch its side... Okay, now if only I can turn it around...

I hear footsteps approaching from the staircase in front of me. Whoever intruded inside the house is quick and efficient. I have little chance of survival now. I do not know how the intruder is armed, but even if the only weapon they carry is a simple knife, they would kill me before I can ever find a suitable lockpick, unlock the cuffs and escape. The only thing I can do is return back to my original position, sitting down against the metal pole, and anticipate the attacker. If I am lucky, then they would be willing to negotiate. Escaping and killing them after that would be elementary. But chances are, they won't risk having me around.

I carefully listen as the steps become louder and louder. Soon, a black shadow forms on the wall in front of me. I am not afraid. If there is a way to save myself and kill the intruder, then I will probably find it. If not, then there is nothing I can do anyway. The mysterious intruder takes another step forward and finally exposes herself.

'I really messed up again...' Saki cries out and wipes the tears from her face. I sigh.

'I heard an explosion upstairs' I explain. Saki sobs out a few times, then approaches me and sits down next to me before laying her head on my shoulder, against my wishes. Not that I would object, of course. Whatever happened, it left her emotionally wounded and really shaken up. This is the perfect opportunity for me to earn her trust and have her release me.

'I'm so useless...' she says through her tears. 'I can't do anything right... And now everything's ruined because of me again...'

I turn my head around and look at her. Despite her cheerful smile earlier, she is now genuinely upset. This girl changes her moods at the drop of a hat...

'What happened?' I ask the obvious question. Saki takes a few deep breaths to calm herself down.

'Akio is... w-was trying to find a way to remove the collars... A-and...'

Ah, I see how it is. He attempted to remove his own collar, yet failed to do so and activated the failsafe mechanism, which automatically made it explode, right?

'We got some of the bodies from the shore yesterday... T-the student council... He tried to study their collars, but just as he was about to finally remove one, I distracted him... I'm so worthless...'

Well... that was unexpected. It appears that I have been giving... Akio a lot less credit than he deserves. Indeed, experimenting on the bodies first would make a lot of sense. That would mean there is room for mistakes, while also reaping the benefits of cracking the code. All the reward with none of the risk. Even though they have lost their test subjects, I'm sure they have made significant progress in studying the devices around our necks already. I need that knowledge...

'Tell me more about Akio' I ask outright. As expected, Saki doesn't even blink.

'It's a really funny story, actually...' she smiles nostalgically as she begins to tell a story that is quite different from what I asked about. 'This happened around... 10-11 years ago. You know how most hospital have these double rooms that hold two patients at the same time?'

Not really. To my knowledge, this is not how Western hospital functions. To be honest, I have never stepped into one. When I was sick, I was treated at home.

'Well, normally, both patients need to be of the same gender, or else it doesn't work! I mean, can you imagine how embarrassing the physical exams would be for a girl if some weird boy was right across the room, watching? Well, that's exactly what happened! Both of us were assigned to the same room, for some reason! It took the hospital two weeks to figure out their mistake, even though both of us had checkups every day!'

I let out an inaudible sigh. This information is of no relevance to me.

'But by the time the doctors realized they messed up, we didn't want to be separated! Unfortunately, there was nothing we could do about it, so... Y'know how some hospitals have, like, these small parks... Or more like gardens? I dunno, whatever! My point is, we started to meet there every single day just to hang out! Neither of us had any friends at that point, so we quickly became inseparable!'

Saki removes her head from my shoulder and looks at me, with gleam in her eyes and a large smile. Her tears are gone without a trace.

'After we were discharged, we continued to meet almost every day! Honestly, Akio's a lot closer to me than my biological brother is! No matter what we did, no matter where we went, no matter what we became, we were always together. After a few years, he got interested in mechanics and started to research them, while I, well...'

She lifts her hand up and looks at it sadly.

'My disease began to seriously take over. I started to lose muscle control, which meant all kinds of disasters for me and the people around me. You have no idea how many times I've screwed things up for him! I don't even remember all the times I've spilled food on his clothes, or completely destroyed days of his work because I decided to tinker with the wrong piece of equipment, or...'

So he has a soft spot for Saki. That's good to know.

'I tried to be like him... He taught me a lot about mechanics... I experimented with arts, sculpture, anything that would help me improve my muscle control... I tried to improve myself. I don't want to admit that this disease has defeated me. But...' she looks back at me. 'It has... Right now, I'm having a lot of trouble walking without a cane, and my hands are more or less useless when it comes to stuff that involves precision. And, since they took my cane away... I am not leaving this house'

I look down. An obvious solution to the problem would be to find a stick to help her walk, but considering Saki's knack for stating the incredibly obvious, I would say that she already tried that. On the other hand, I can think of another solution...

'I will carry you out' I explain. Saki jumps up, a bit startled.

'W-what? But...'

'Do not worry about it' I force another smile. 'The rules of the game discourage any sort of teamwork. After all, why would you do it if you know only one person will survive at the end? But... If we managed to find a way to play outside of the rules, then they would become invalid'

'Y-you mean...' Saki gasps when she finally realizes what I'm thinking. 'N-no way! You want to try and remove the collars!'

I nod.

'But that's impossible!' she objects. 'We had two collars to work with, and both of them exploded!'

'Indeed, yet Akio almost managed to remove one, right? The only reason he failed is because you distracted him'

'This... This won't work' she shakes her head. 'Akio would never agree to do it! He wouldn't risk killing either of us by accident!'

'I agree. He wouldn't risk it. But he's not the only one who knows how to take these things off, isn't he?'

She flinches.

'Excuse me?'

'You watched him remove one of the collars, right? And you admitted you have studied electronics. I am sure that you can do it'

Saki bites her lip and looks around nervously.

'I really don't think this is a good idea... I-I mean... I can't control my muscles properly! One wrong move, and you go boom! And trust me, I'll make a lot more than one wrong move!'

'It's just a risk we'll have to take!' I yell out. 'Listen to me, Saki! I know you're scared, and so am I, but the end of the game is approaching quickly! If we don't take these things off right now, we're dead anyway, and I'm sure neither of us has any intention of actually playing by their rules. It's worth a shot!'

The girl starts breathing heavily, trying to decide what to do. Ultimately, she nods.

'Go take the tools' I ask her. 'I am counting on you'

Saki stands up and begins walking towards the stairs, her entire body trembling like a leaf. A few minutes later, she comes back with a nice set of screwdrivers and a scissor. The girl kneels down in front of me and picks up a screwdriver.

'If you die, I'll-'

'I will not die' I assure her with another fake smile. 'Now do it'

She takes a deep breath to calm her nerves. Her hand is trembling slightly. Whether this is due to her disease or due to nerves, I can not say. I close my eyes as she's working, mostly because I feel that my gaze is distracting her. I can hear her whimper quietly as she's tinkering around with the device on my neck and letting out a frightened gasp when she thinks things are going back. Surprisingly, the removal doesn't last long – after less than two minutes, the cold metal falls on the ground, making a loud sound as it hits the concrete and liberating me from the chains of the rules.

'I... I did it! Oh my God! I did it!' Saki yells out as she drops the screwdriver and scissor on the floor and covers her mouth. 'I can't believe it!'

'I can' I smile. 'Good job, Saki. I am very proud of you!'

'Wait till Akio hears about this!' she giggles happily. 'I should go and remove his collar too!'

'Not yet' I stop her. 'Let me take yours off first. We do not know when exactly the game will end. The last thing we need is for the time to run out and to lose the only one who knows how to take them off'

'R-right, I suppose that makes sense...' she nods, not doubting my words for a second. I have earned her trust.

'But... I can not do it with my hands tied behind my back'

'Oh, of course!' she smiles and reaches inside the pocket of her skirt, then takes out a small key. 'I am so sorry, I totally forgot about that!'

Less than five seconds later, the cuffs are off, leaving me completely and absolutely free. I rub my wrists and stand up. The effect of the anesthesia has passed completely by now. Saki hands me the scissors and a screwdriver without hesitation.

'Do you think you can handle it?' the girl asks.

I look into her eyes. She is not as concerned as she needs to be.

'Of course' I respond with a smile. 'Just tell me what I need to do'

'Right!' she smiles back. 'Um, okay... See this tiny wee screw riiiight here?' she points at her collar. 'It's painted black, so it's REALLY hard to see, but it's there. Just unscrew it with the tip of the scissors to open the panel!'

'Of course' I nod and grab the scissors tightly by the handle.

With one swift move, I jam the blade straight at the center of Saki's collar.

The explosion is loud, but not especially powerful. Though I suppose it did its job, as her head is barely hanging onto her shoulders. The girl promptly falls back and lands on the concrete floor, dead. I grab the scissors, still stuck inside her neck, and pull them out, then carefully head up the stairs. Just as expected, the house above me isn't especially big, as it only contains three rooms. The first two I check are empty.

The third one is not.

Three corpses, each killed at least a day ago, are lying on the ground. The heads of the two student council members, Mikado and Hakamichi, are almost completely destroyed by the detonation of their collar. The third body is almost completely untouched. It would have even looked alive if not for the pale complexion of his skin. It is not easy to recognize this third corpse – Akio Hayashi, one of the first victims of the game. I shot him to death a few minutes after I killed the student council.

My weapons – the MAC-10 and the army knife, as well as the rifle with sedative arrows, are lying beside them. I arm myself, taking the rifle as well. Before leaving the room, I take one last look at Akio's body. I feel... pity. But at least I feel something. This game is already having a positive effect on me. I have no intention of quitting, even when I am no longer bound by its rules.

**STUDENT #1: AKIO HAYASHI – DEAD**

**STUDENT #12: SAKI ENOMOTO – DEAD**

**4 REMAIN**


	9. Chapter 8-1

(LILLY'S POV)

'T-there! The lighthouse!' Hanako yells out happily next to me 'Just a l-little further!'

I smile and nod, still holding on to her arm. After all this walking, I am glad that we have finally reached our destination. The thought that we might finally escape the island almost seems too good to be true. I try not to keep my hopes up. The odds of this plan working at all are against us. After all, even if the lighthouse itself isn't a forbidden zone and we manage to make it work, we still don't know if somebody will actually come to our aid. And even if they come, will they be on time? Raiden said that the game only lasts for two days. After that, all of our collars will explode. And, even without my sight, I can still tell that our time is almost up.

'Keep your eyes on the tracker, Hanako!' Miki says firmly. 'We don't want any more surprises!'

I'm not sure if it's just me, but I feel certain... discomfort in Miki's voice, which is not unnatural considering that she is badly wounded.

'How are you feeling, Ms. Miura?' I ask politely as we keep walking towards the lighthouse. She is, more or less, our only chance of staying alive and escaping the island. If she succumbs to her injuries, then Hanako and I will most certainly follow suit.

'Not too good' she responds honestly. 'My right eye's busted, no doubt about it. I thought it was just temporary and it'll pass, but no such luck. Guess I should get used to wearing sunglasses or something'

Miki chuckles at her own joke. I don't find it even remotely funny.

'W-what about your w-wound?' Hanako asks carefully.

'It's not bleeding, at least. Other than that, I have no clue. Maybe a cast will fix it. Or maybe the injury's permanent. Your guess is as good as mine. All I know is that, right now, I can barely move my shoulder. The only way I'll be firing my gun is from the hip, like a cowboy or something. However, don't count on me using my pickaxe any time soon, at least not to actually kill someone'

'And... d-do your feet h-hurt?'

Hmm, I wonder why Hanako would ask that.

'Is there a problem with your feet, Ms. Miura?'

'Not really a problem... I was just stupid enough to leave my shoes back at the house...'

Ah, that makes sense. It explains why Suzu and I couldn't hear her when she sneaked up on us. The firefight happened immediately afterward, so Miki probably didn't have time to run back and put her shoes on.

'Are you alright? Do you need to rest?'

'I'm fine, really. My feet hurt like hell... but then again, that's not something new for a sports enthusiast such as myself!' she laughs softly. 'The only thing I need right now is a hot bath and an even hotter cup of tea, and I'm not getting either of those unless we get off this rock'

Ah, a cup of tea truly sounds wonderful right now... I close my eyes and sigh. I can almost taste the steaming hot, freshly-made green tea in my mouth.

'Tell you what – when this is all over, I'm taking both of you to an onsen! We'll get that clumsy girl from the Shanghai to serve us tea while we're in the water!'

'Ah! R-really? I've n-never tried d-drinking tea while b-bathing...'

'Trust me, it's just as good as it sounds!' Miki chuckles.

'In that case, I wouldn't mind taking you up on your offer' I smile.

'So it's settled! As soon as we get back, we're hitting the nearest onsen!'

'I t-think that, as soon as we g-get back, you s-should see a doctor...' Hanako speaks quietly.

My little Hanako... I almost feel sorry for her. She actually believes that these arrangements are something more than very wishful thinking... I do not have the heart to tell her that we will most likely never leave the island alive.

'Okay, okay!' Miki says, not skipping a beat. 'I'll go see a doctor if you insist so much, but after that, you're getting in that onsen even if I have to undress you and throw you in myself!'

Hanako giggles. My lips curve into a faint smile as well. Well, perhaps it's not a bad idea to pretend like everything will turn out okay in the end.

'Any forbidden zones around?' Miki asks, abruptly changing the subject. I am guessing that we are have almost reached the lighthouse. I hear my friend reach into her skirt pocket and take out the small device that I acquired earlier.

'Y-yeah' Hanako stutters. 'To t-the North and S-South...'

'What about the one right in front of us?'

'It's s-safe' she says quietly, with relief in her voice.

'So, the lighthouse wasn't turned into a forbidden zone after all... That's weird, considering the fact that it's the only way we can send a signal... Could Raiden be setting us a trap?'

'I d-don't think so...'

'Do you have an idea, Hanako?' I turn to her and ask.

'Y-yeah... Remember "B-Battle Royale"?'

'Oh, right, that book Raiden was ranting about when we were in the classroom, when all that started!' Miki reminds us. 'You had read it, right?'

'Uh-huh... In it, the l-lighthouse is... important...'

'Important?' I turn to her once more.

'Y-yeah... A lot of students d-die there...'

A few moments of uncomfortable silence follow. If Hanako's theory is true, then Raiden is deliberately leading us into the lighthouse so we can kill each other there.

'Well, guess we're rewriting the book, then!' Miki says cheerfully. 'The game is almost over. Since Harway didn't come after us, chances are he's dead. Which means we're most likely the only people left on the island'

'There is no way for us to know that' I turn to her. 'We shouldn't let our guard down'

'That's not what I'm saying. I just mean that the chance of someone actually finding us here are very, very slim! Come on, let's go in. We don't have much time' Miki responds confidently.


	10. Chapter 8-2

(LEO'S POV)

After liberating myself of the collar around my neck, navigating the island became insultingly easy. I had no problem going back to the village and finding my bag, which, miraculously, had remained untouched during my absence. I suspect that the zone in which it was located had become restricted sometime during my involuntary confinement in one of the houses. I didn't take it – it would have only slowed me down, which was something I couldn't afford.

The game is almost over. Within only a few short hours, all collars on the island will blow up, killing my opponents automatically. I can not allow that to happen. Strangely, I did not encounter any of the soldiers patrolling the island ever since I escaped, but if I had, there is no doubt in my mind that I would have been shot dead instantly. After all, removal of the explosive collar prior to the game's official end was strictly against the rules. The fact that I am no longer restricted by it gave me the ability to move around freely, but nothing more. In order to truly win the game, I had to eliminate all the remaining contestants myself.

And besides... Maybe their death would allow me to finally feel an emotion. I need to experience this, no matter what.

I quickly make a mental list of all the victims in the game. First was Hisao Nakai, killed by Raiden in the very beginning of the game to prove that the game of death he had organized was legitimate. Next were Shizune Hakamichi and Shiina Mikado, which I killed after turning Hakamichi's plan for easy kills against her. Emi Ibarazaki was also present, so I went after her. On the way, I encountered Akio Hayashi, whom I also killed. When I finally caught up with Ibarazaki, she was already dead, alongside Kenji Setou. I do not know who killed them, but it matters little.

I did not encounter anyone for hours after that. My first contact on the second day of the game was with Lilly Satou, Hanako Ikezawa, Miki Miura and Suzu Suzuki, who had formed an alliance. I managed to kill Suzuki, but just then I was captured by Saki Enomoto, whom I manipulated into removing my collar. Following that, I killed her and moved towards the east side of the island.

From what I gathered, the placement of the forbidden zones and their activation was not random at all. The entire west half of the island was already prohibited when we arrived, limiting our activities only to the east half. The only explanation that seems likely to me is that the available area was cut in two due to the small number of the contestants. Following that, various areas, starting from the West and moving East, began turning into forbidden zones. If my theory is right, then Raiden, or whoever is in charge of their placement, is trying to push the remaining contestants towards the east shore. Which is where I left.

On the beach, I encountered the bodies of Rika Katayama and Takashi Maeda, who had seemingly killed each other. That leaves only four people unaccounted for – Satou, Ikezawa, Miura and Rin Tezuka. I am guessing that the first three are still together, which makes them an easy target. Tezuka, on the other hand, is most likely already dead. Her lack of arms would prove a fatal disadvantage in a game where you have to kill or be killed. If I had to guess, I would say that she was either killed in one of the houses, or committed suicide by throwing herself off the edge of the island, which is why I have been unable to find her body.

I look around, wondering where I might be able to locate the last three. I am very sure that they must be somewhere on the east side of the island, but where? They wouldn't risk being exposed out in the open, and there are no buildings or houses nearby, except for the old lighthouse by the cliffs. Wait a second... A lighthouse... Could it be that they would try to send a signal to the mainland? Of course, this plan is doomed to fail – even if they somehow manage to get the lighthouse to function, despite its age and their lack of any knowledge on the matter, chances are Raiden and his soldiers have already thought of that and would not allow any ships to actually head towards the island. Even if a private vessel does leave, it will quickly be stopped and neutralized by Raiden's forces before it even approaches. And if that, by some incredible miracle, does not happen, then there is no way a simple boat, no matter how fast it is, would be able to get here in time. The only vehicle I can think of that can possibly make it here prior to the end of the game is a helicopter. And in the extremely unlikely event that the three manage to send a signal, a private helicopter pilot notices this, realizes what is going on, departs immediately, somehow evades Raiden's anti-air forces and lands on the island before the end of the game, then he would most certainly be unable to remove the girls' collars in time. And, since anything beyond the island is a huge forbidden zone, taking them away with their collars on would kill them.

Indeed, this plan of theirs has no chance of success, but... What if they do not realize that?

The human mind is an interesting thing. It is able to find hope in places where there is none. And it is able to hold on to that hope, no matter the circumstances. We are not so different in that regard. Just as they hope that someone will wake them up from this nightmare, I hope that I will eventually be able to feel an emotion, even though I know that I am incapable of doing that. Yes, there is very little doubt in my mind right now – they must be at the lighthouse.

I quickly head back inland and try to navigate through the woods in an attempt to remain hidden. The lighthouse isn't very tall – it has the advantage of being located on a relatively high cliff, so the building itself is only about two stories tall. It looks really old. I would say that it has not been in use for at least thirty years, most likely more. The white paint has been mostly chipped away, revealing the bricks underneath. The salty air has chipped away entire chunks of the concrete, which would make scaling the building a child's play. Once I'm close enough, I pick up the rifle hanging over my shoulder and use it to carefully examine the lighthouse.

I can not see any details, as the scope of my weapon is not exactly of military quality, but I can most certainly detect movement from the chamber at the top. Even though making out anything in particular is so difficult that I even have trouble counting the number of people inside, I am sure that there is at least one person inside. And even if it really is only one of them, she can easily lead me to the others.

I leave the rifle aside. I did not pick up any ammunition for it. Since it only fires non-lethal rounds, I determined that it was not worth the wasted time. I still have my MAC-10, with several magazines of ammunition, as well as my army knife. I can easily take down the three remaining participants with just those. Not to mention, I also have the element of surprise on my side. I quickly check if my submachine gun is loaded and ready, then carefully approach the lighthouse, hoping that no one inside would notice me.

It takes me no more than ten minutes to reach the building. I look at it carefully to determine the best route to the top, then place my hands on the bricks and pull myself up. I was never particularly skilled at climbing when practicing this sport at home. Then again, I was never really skilled at firing weapons before either, but I seem to be handling my MAC-10 quite well. My hand slips a few times on my way up, but I am always able to regain my balance and keep going up. The relatively short size of the building works to my advantage, and before long, I am able to reach the top. One more step, and I shall be able to clearly see past the windows at the top and into the room. But the people inside would also notice me, which might prove to be a fatal mistake considering that two of the three remaining contestants are armed. And I can not allow myself to be careless again.

No matter what I do, I will lose the benefit of surprise. The smartest plan would be to take full advantage of it and deal as much damage as I can before that happens. I wish I had a grenade or something similar. That would allow me to eliminate everyone in the room quickly and efficiently. But since I lack one, I will need to settle for the next best thing. While using my left hand and my feet to support myself against the wall, I reach for my MAC-10 and place it comfortably in my right hand. I take a deep breath to prepare myself. I will only have one chance of getting this right, so I will need to be really careful and make sure everything goes according to plan.

When I feel ready, I point the submachine gun up and empty the magazine at the glass, then thrust myself up and jump through the window, shattering it to pieces and landing amongst all three of my opponents. I quickly look around to assess the damage – two of them are completely shaken up by my sudden appearance. The third one is lying on the floor beside me, covered in blood and most likely dead. I point the gun at the others, hoping that they would not realize the magazine is empty.


	11. Chapter 8-3

(MIKI'S POV)

None of us expected what happened, not even remotely. The familiar sound of Leo's machine gun blasting through the window caught us all completely unprepared. My stomach turned like it was stuck in the washing machine, and my knees felt far too weak to support my body. The only reason I managed to remain on my feet was because I was so paralyzed with fear and surprise that I couldn't even fall down. This horrible feeling lasted for what seemed like eternity before I finally snapped out of it and pointed my revolver at Leo.

I have him in my sights. His clothes are cut up by the broken glass, yet his face is untouched. He doesn't even have a scratch on him! After all this time on the island, after he killed so many people, the fucker doesn't even have a scratch! I bare my teeth and pull back the safety of my revolver, barely resisting the urge to just shoot him down. Doing so would be a waste of ammo, since he will only roll out of the way the moment he senses I'm about to shoot him. And I only have four bullets left in my revolver. I need to make them all count.

'L...Lilly?' Hanako speaks out quietly and falls down on her knees.

I lower my head slightly. Lilly's body, riddled with bullet holes, is lying in a pool of blood on the floor. I can't say how many times she was hit, but I see at least two exit wounds on her back. I bite my lip to stop myself from shouting. I told Hanako to watch the tracker! If she had only done her job, we would have seen Leo coming!

'Hanako!' I finally yell out angrily.

The girl doesn't respond. She's crouched down next to Lilly's body, paralyzed from the shock and slightly trembling Poor girl... Seeing your best friend die like that must have shaken her up quite well. But now's not the time to be depressed about it! We have to deal with Leo first before we die as well!

Suddenly, Lilly twitches and begins coughing. So, she's still alive after all... Well, even if she's still holding up, those wounds don't look so good. I doubt she has long to live. Hanako is still on her knees next to her, with tears running down her cheeks.

'Lilly! Lilly!' she cries out sadly.

Leo quickly releases the magazine from his MAC-10 and lets it fall on the floor before reaching inside his pocket and pulling out another one. He shoves it inside the submachine gun in what seems like a nanosecond, then points it towards Hanako.

'NO!' I shout out and raise my revolver, then quickly fire two rounds at him. Naturally, he jumps to the side, avoiding the shots. That's two bullets wasted... But at least I managed to save her life, for the time being.

'Hanako! RUN!' I yell at her, trying to keep track of Leo. He ran off somewhere as soon as I fired the shots... I think I know where he is, but I don't see him. Shit... I can't let him surprise me again! This time, he's going to kill me for sure!

'B-but Lilly! She's h-hurt!' Hanako screams at me. I sigh.

'Take her and GO! Hurry!'

The girl nods at me, then carefully helps Lilly up. She's barely conscious and very badly hurt, and in all likelihood is unable to walk. They probably won't be able to even leave the room, but that doesn't really matter as long as they stay away from us. There's going to be a firefight, and I can't risk them getting caught in it. It's already too late for Lilly, but Hanako still has a chance. I need to protect her, no matter what...

I lift the revolver up, as much as my injured hand will allow me, and look at it. I only have two bullets left. One of them needs to go through Leo's skull. Hell, I would be satisfied with a chest strike as well. If it gets to that, I can finish him off with my pickaxe. But I need to kill him at all costs. I can't let someone like him win this fucked up game.

Suddenly, I see something with the corner of my eye. My blood freezes when I realize that it's Leo, pointing his MAC-10 straight at me. It all happens in less than a second, but the adrenaline pumping through my body makes it seem like a lot longer. I fall down, just narrowly avoiding the rain of bullets being shot towards me. I land on my injured right shoulder, which causes it to pulsate with pain. Shit... I've never been in so much pain... I feel like I'm going to pass out...

I shut my eyes and bite my lip tightly. Now's not the time to be in pain! I feel blood filling my mouth. My arm is completely numb, and my right eye is pulsating. But it doesn't matter. What matters is that Leo is out of bullets once again. The MAC-10 is notorious for blowing away an entire magazine after less than a second of automatic fire. My opponent isn't sparing any ammo. He's blowing through magazines like it's nothing. He must be getting tired, or desperate. In either case it works to my advantage.

His magazine drops on the floor loudly. He's unarmed! Now is my chance! I can't shoot him with my revolver. There's no way my injured arm would twist enough to actually be able to shoot him. I take a risk and drop the revolver, then reach behind me and grab the pickaxe. Doing this while lying down on the floor really, really hurts, but my determination to finally snuff the bastard is greater than my pain. With a loud scream, I swing the pickaxe towards his leg.

A nasty sound echoes throughout the room. It's that terrible sound of soft flesh being penetrated by something sharp and spewing blood. Leo lets out a gasp, more from surprise than from pain, and drops the MAC-10. It's strapped to his chest, so it doesn't fall on the ground, but I don't need it to. My pickaxe is stuck in the side of his knee. With another scream, I pull as hard as I can.

The flesh around the bullet wound in my shoulder is tearing. I can feel the pain spreading from it all the way to my right hand. I desperately try to stay conscious as my vision blacks out. The blood from Leo's torn kneecap begins to spray all over. He finally succumbs to the pain and falls down. That's my cue.

Still holding the pickaxe, I jump forward and pin my opponent on the ground. I point the sharp edge of the pickaxe towards his face. He grabs it and tries to push me back. My heart feels like it's about to burst out of my chest. I want to swing at him and bash his skull in, but he's resisting. Shit, my body is giving out... I feel like the pain, the tension and the adrenaline inside me are about to burst out of me!

Leo's cold, calculating eyes remain focused on me, calm as ever. I just destroyed his kneecap and am about to kill him! Why won't he show at least a little emotion?! Suddenly, I notice something that makes something inside me snap.

Leo lacks a collar.

My eyes open wide. There's no doubt about it, he had one on when he attacked us back at the house. But his neck is completely exposed right now. Could it be that he actually found a way to remove it? If so, why did he continue playing? He could have easily escaped the island! Is it possible that... he's just killing us for fun? Is he really that big of a monster? I can feel the rage rising inside of me and mixing up with all my others emotions, creating a deadly cocktail that explodes within me.

'YOU SICK FUCK!' I scream off the top of my lungs. The bastard doesn't even flinch! I bare my teeth and keep pressing down. Just a little more, and the blade of my pickaxe will reach his eye. Just a bit more! Just a-

The sharp pain in my abdomen causes my body to go limp. I want to keep pressing, but my already numb hand outright refuses to respond. Leo pushes me aside easily and pulls out the knife from my side. Shit, that hurts so fucking much... I want to pass out. I feel like my body wasn't meant to take so much abuse. The only thing that keeps me conscious is my desire to snuff the life out of Leo Harway.

My body is shaking as I lie bleeding on the ground. My opponent stands up, then slowly limps towards me, holding the bloody knife in his hand. He kneels down next to me and lifts the blade up, preparing to finish me off.

No... It can't end like this... It just can't! My eyes fill up with tears. I've come way too far to die like this! I won't be slaughtered like a fucking animal! I won't allow it! Come on, body, I know there's still some life in you... Move... Damn it, MOVE! WHY CAN'T I MOVE?!

The blade of Leo's knife is shining. Being completely helpless to do anything about this situation absolutely terrifies me. Is this really... the end? I suppose I've reached my limits. I'm sorry, Hanako. I wanted to protect you. I wanted to save at least someone before dying. But I was useless.


	12. Chapter 8-4

(LEO'S POV)

The gunshot paralyzes my body just as I am about to finish Miura off. The loud noise completely shatters the almost ritualistic atmosphere of our struggle, causing us both to freeze. No longer gripped by my fingers, the large army knife slips away from my hand and falls on the floor. I fail to comprehend the events that have just transpired.

Miura is just as confused. The light in her eyes is quickly fading, yet they succeed in expressing her surprise. My chest starts hurting terribly. It is pulsating, like a black hole sucking everything around it. I feel a sudden tightness, which causes me to lean forward and start coughing involuntarily. A red liquid drops from my mouth and splashes onto the ground in front of me.

There is no doubt about it – this is blood. There is more on my shirt, and on my hands. There is no doubt about it – I have been shot, most likely through my left lung.

My body is shaking. It is involuntary. I do not feel scared or in any way compelled to display weakness, yet my muscles move on their own. I grip the exit wound with my hand and cough up some more blood. This isn't good. Normally, death by pierced lungs takes hours, but I'm bleeding quite profusely. It will probably only take me minutes to die.

Is this what it feels like to die? Weird...

I do not feel anything.

I sense physical discomfort. Soreness. Tension. Loss of breath. A lot of pain. But I do not FEEL anything. I am not scared. I am not in despair. I am not happy, or sad. Nothing.

What a shame.

I throw up some more blood. I am no longer able to keep my body stable, so it simply falls back awkwardly. My vision begins to fade. I suppose I must be going into shock. The pain is getting duller and duller every second. It is probably the endorphins released by my brain. I contemplate closing my eyes and simply letting myself go. That is what dying people are supposed to do, right?

Shizune Hakamichi struggled a lot before she died. I lost my respect for her because of that. I thought it was a sign of weakness. Of fear. Though fear of what, exactly? Was it death? Or perhaps failure? Maybe it was simply a natural reaction of her survival instinct acting on a subconscious level? I do not feel fear. And I do not value my survival. There is no reason for me to lower myself to her level. Even though I regret not being able to feel a true emotion, I will not struggle against death.

I swallow some of the blood climbing up my throat, then close my eyes. Yes... It would have been really nice if I was able to feel anything at all. If I could simply prove to myself that I was a real human being, with fears, hopes and emotions, instead of the manufactured perfection that my father and uncle turned me into. That was my only wish...

'Leo? Hey, Leo!'

A familiar female voice causes me to open my eyes suddenly. I see someone in front of me, yet I can not determine their features. I rise up. My body is unnaturally light, and I do not feel any pain at all. I look at the person standing in front of me. Her long, blond hair, beautiful blue eyes and long dress are unmistakable. She is the girl from my dreams. The one calling out to me every night, and the one whose face I forgot every morning.

Who is she... I know her... I am sure that I have met her before...

My heart skips a beat when my memory suddenly comes back to me.

Of course... They made me forget... They tried to convince me I was nothing but a machine created to run their corporation. But it was not always this way! I was a normal child once, and I was loved!

Tears begin running down my cheeks. Yes... I was loved... And, in turn, I loved... I can feel that very same love right now! It's the purest form of love – the unconditional adoration a young child feels towards the only person who would show him kindness. How could I ever forget this wonderful feeling? How could I not recall what love felt like?

I truly am a monster, aren't I...

I wipe my face with the sleeve of my uniform in a futile attempt to halt my tears. The girl smiles gently at me. I remember that smile! Even in my worst moments, then I felt overwhelmed by the world, this smile gave me the strength to move on! She was my support. My light. My anchor. And then she was taken away from me.

But she is back now! She is just as I remember her, and she loves me!

The girl gives me her hand. My own is trembling. I wipe my tears once more, then smile back at her before standing up and walking towards her.

You were the only person who ever made me happy... I am never letting you go again!

**STUDENT #6: LEO HARWAY – DEAD**

**3 REMAIN**


	13. Chapter 8-5

(MIKI'S POV)

I stare in disbelief as Leo's bleeding chest suddenly stops moving. Is he... really dead? I can't be sure. Nothing's ever that simple with him. I wouldn't be surprised if he was faking it just to have one last laugh at our misfortune.

Except he's not. A puddle of blood becomes forming around him, like it does in movies. His eyes are closed, and his face is quickly turning pale. I push myself up slightly, which isn't easy considering my condition, and crawl up to Leo, then place my fingers on his neck. No pulse.

Leo Harway is dead. It's all over. This nightmare has finally ended.

With strength I didn't even know I possessed, I rise up and stand on my knees, with my left hand firmly planted against the bleeding wound on my abdomen. My body's completely busted, no doubt about it. I'm absolutely going to die in a few minutes. But Leo's death has given me a sense of... security. I feel like the fear and adrenaline that were filling me up to the edge were quickly vanishing, thus loosening their grip on me. I might have just a little while to live, but at least I won't spend my last moments paralyzed and helpless.

I turn my head and look around. Lilly is lying on the other side of the room, covered in blood. Her chest isn't moving either. Just as I thought – the wounds she had sustained were way too much for her to handle. Sure, I took way more abuse, but I also got lucky – until I was stabbed, no vital organs were hurt. Poor blind girl took half a magazine in the chest. Even I wouldn't be able to wake up after a blow like that.

With great effort, I finally manage to turn my head up. Hanako is standing right above Leo's corpse, with the gun in her hands still smoking. Her body is trembling like a leaf – so much so that the muzzle of her pistol is moving like one of those bobble head dolls they place in cars. Despite that, she's still aiming straight at Leo's corpse, in case he attacks us again.

'It's okay, Hanako. He's dead' I convince her.

It takes her a few seconds to finally comprehend what I told her. Slowly, the scarred girl falls on her knees, and her hands loosen their grip on the weapon. I approach her and quickly pick up the pistol, knowing that she's not strong enough to even hold it anymore. The last thing I need would be for one of us to get killed in a stupid accident like the gun firing by accident upon hitting the ground.

'You did it' I smile faintly as I wrap my left arm around her. I would have hugged her properly to reassure her, but my right arm is completely numb and useless at this point. Not that it really matters, but I still feel kind of sad that, even if I survive this by some holy miracle, my sports career would be over. But now's not the time to think depressing thoughts like that. We won, and I managed to save Hanako's life! She's practically unharmed, and, if Raiden stays true to his word, she'll get to go home soon! I feel so happy for her... So why isn't she saying anything?

'Hanako?' I ask and look at her.

The girl's eyes stare blankly at Leo's corpse, with no life left into them. Her mouth is gaping slightly, and her entire body is completely relaxed, only staying up on its knees because it's leaning on me. I grip the wound on my abdomen tightly as I feel a sudden wave of dull pain. Hanako acts like she's in shock, which is unsurprising. She just had to kill someone, after all! Honestly, it's only natural for her to not fully comprehend what she had done.

Except her dead, motionless eyes tell me that's not the kind of shock she's ever coming back from.

'Oh, no... No, no, no...' I let go of my wound and place my palm on her face, covering its side in my blood. 'Hanako! Hanako! Come on, please, talk to me!'

I desperately beg her, yelling as loud as I can't, which isn't very loud considering my condition, but it should still be enough to bring her back to reality. But she's not waking up. Her body's completely numb and motionless. It's like her soul simply left her body.

I close my eyes. Of course, it was all so obvious... Hanako's mental state has never been particularly stable. Ever since the fire that killed her parents and scarred her body, her mind was deteriorating rapidly, with only Lilly and Hisao helping her keep at least some of her sanity. It was foolish of me to think that this fucked-up game wouldn't take its toll on her. And now, not only was Hanako forced to take a human life with her own hands – she also lost everyone that mattered to her.

She was the sole survivor of a tragedy, again.

While her body was healthy, her mind simply couldn't handle all of this. Hanako was incapable of dealing with everything she went through in the past forty-eight hours, so she simply... faded away. I felt my eyes fill up with tears. Was that gonna be their winner?! A completely broken girl with nothing left to live for? Was she going to be the one they'd parade as their sole survivor? Was she going to be the one burdened with the responsibility for all the deaths that happened here?

No... I can't allow this. This... This is simply cruel.

When I first heard the rules of this game, I immediately resigned myself to my death. Frankly, I didn't particularly mind it, at least not any more than the average person does. The only thing I wanted to do was to save someone before I went out. I thought that someone would be Hanako, but... Letting her survive this would be no salvation. It would be a nightmare all on its own. She would never recover from the shock she experienced today, at least not fully. Her life from now on, if you can even call it a "life", would be nothing but suffering and humiliation. No, the only salvation I could bring her was to spare her of the humiliation.

Using my left hand, I slowly bring the gun up and place it next to Hanako's forehead.

'I'm so sorry...' I whisper in her ear. 'Please, forgive me...'

And then, I pull the trigger.

My friend's blood sprays my face before I even hear the gunshot. The pistol jumps in my hand, knocking me back and forcing me to lie down on the ground, this time for good. Finally, my mind blanks out, unable to bear all the stress and damage my body went through. Now, I no longer have a reason to fight it. I close my eyes and left my consciousness drift away.

So, at the end... This game ended up with no winner. Maybe... That is for the best.

**STUDENT #3: HANAKO IKEZAWA – DEAD**

**STUDENT #7: LILLY SATOU – DEAD**

**STUDENT #8: MIKI MIURA – DEAD**

**NONE REMAIN**


End file.
